....when deep sleep falleth upon men,
in slumberings upon the bed;
Job 33:15
"Dr Jeff Iliff, a neuroscientist at Oregon Health & Science University, has described new discoveries on how the brain is designed to cleanse itself during sleep.Although the human brain comprises only 2% of our body weight, it accounts for 20% of our total energy consumption. Scientists have found that the brain has an extensive blood supply that
But what about the waste management from all that electrical activity?
The rest of the body uses the lymphatic system to remove waste products, which are produced continuously. However, the brain does not have a lymphatic system.
Researchers have found that the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) permeates the brain itself—it is not just on the outside. The CSF flows through the brain, removing waste (such as amyloid-beta, which forms plaques associated with Alzheimer’s disease), which it then transfers to the blood for processing. The CSF flows along the outside of the blood vessels, as the brain’s cells shrink back and create space to allow the movement.
However, very little movement of CSF occurs during wakeful times, only when sleeping, which emphasises the importance of sleep.
Dr Iliff described this sophisticated system in terms of an “elegant design solution”, “It was ingenious, but it was also beautiful”, and “a really clever design solution”. Indeed so, and so we give our Creator the glory for His incredible ingenuity in the things He has made." CMI
