• Question: is the brain made out of fat and why?

    Asked by wooddwh to Helen, Jenni, Mark, Martin, Stu on 23 Jun 2011.
    • Photo: Helen O'Connor

      Helen O'Connor answered on 23 Jun 2011:

      I’m not a neuroscientist, but I think that about 65% of the brain is made of fats. Myelin, which covers all the communicating neurons in the brain, is mostly fat.

      Myelin is an insulating layer around nerves, including those in the brain and spinal cord and is made of protein and fats. We need this layer to help impulses to travel quickly and efficiently along the nerve cells. If myelin is damaged, the impulses slow down and this can cause diseases like multiple sclerosis.

      So it’s a good fat!

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