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This is a list of animals by number of neurons in their whole nervous system and the number of neurons in their brain (for those which have a brain). These numbers are estimations derived by multiplying the density of neurons in a particular animal by the average weight or mass of the animal's brain.
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Neurons are the cells which transmit information in the nervous system of an animal so that it can sense stimuli coming from its environment and behave accordingly. Not all animals have neurons; Trichoplax and sponges lack nerve cells altogether.
Neurons may be packed to form structures such as the brain of vertebrates or the neural ganglions of insects.
The number of neurons and their relative abundance in different parts of the brain is a determinant of neural function and, consequently, of behavior.
Name | Neurons in the brain/whole nervous system | Details | Image | Source |
Ant | 10,000 | Varies per species, in reality:10,000-100,000 |
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[1] |
Caenorhabditis elegans (worm fish) | 302 |
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[1] | |
Cat | 300,000,000 (cerebral cortex) |
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[2] | |
Cockroach | 1,000,000 |
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[3] | |
Chimpanzee | 6,200,000,000 (cerebral cortex) |
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[2] | |
Dog | 160,000,000 (cerebral cortex) |
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[2] | |
Elephants | 200,000,000,000 |
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[4] | |
Frog | 16,000,000 |
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[5] | |
Fruit fly | 100,000 |
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[6] | |
Honey Bee | 850,000 |
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[7] | |
Human | 100,000,000,000 total 11,000,000,000 (cerebral cortex) |
For average adult |
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[8] |
Mouse | 4,000,000 (cerebral cortex) |
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[2] | |
Octopus | 300,000,000 |
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[9] | |
Pond snail | 11,000 |
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[2] | |
Rat | 15,000,000 (cerebral cortex) |
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[10] | |
Sea slug | 7,000 |
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[11] | |
Sponge | 0 |
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Trichoplax (worm sponge) | 0 |
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[12] | |
Whales | 200,000,000,000 |
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[4] | |
Zebrafish (embryonic) | 10,000 |
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[13] |
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