Big Picture

Fast fact #6

#6: The total length of myelinated nerve fibres in the brain is between 150 000 and 180 000 km (enough to go around the Earth about four times).

The brain
The body

Bibliography

Source: Marner et al. J Comp Neurol 2003;462:144-52.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/cne.10714/abstract
Originally published in The Big Picture Little Book of Fast Facts
http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/Education-resources/Teaching-and-education/Big-Picture/All-issues/Special-Fast-Facts-book/index.htm

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