The octopus has eight tentacles capable of impressive feats of strength and dexterity.
WE ONLY have two legs but have all experienced a tumble or two trying to use them.
If using two legs can sometimes be challenging, how does a creature like an octopus with not one, not two, not three but eight limbs manage to become an effective predator of the deep seas with precise control of each tentacle?
It's like each tentacle has a mind of its own. Do they?
Verdict:
TRUE
These extraterrestrial-looking marine animals just can't stop impressing us with their array of astonishing qualities, abilities and traits.
Like most animals, the octopus possesses a central brain that sits between its eyes.
But unlike other creatures, their brain looks like a doughnut or a ring.
One ring to rule them all, one ring to find them, one ring to bring them all, and in the darkness unlock doors and manipulate small objects?
Did we say brain? Sorry, we mean brains. Because this ring-shaped brain doesn't control the octopus's every move.
The octopus has 500 million neurons with more than half found outside of the animal's main brain – in its arms.
Yes, every single one of them.
Marine biologists concluded that this enables each octopus arm to operate independent of its central brain.
The central brain tells the arms general instructions such as direction and how fast to move, but the arms act autonomously on exactly how to achieve whatever goal the brain sets.
Not only that, octopus arms also work autonomously when they're hunting.
This was scientifically proven in an experiment in 2011, when researchers tested whether an octopus could guide its arms through a maze in search of food.
Simply put, an octopus's nervous system operates like a well-oiled committee with excellent chemistry and a burning passion to strive.
While our nervous system is more like being ruled by a single dictator.
"Now, share this article!" is what a dictator would say. But feel free to do so if you enjoyed it!
Reference:
1. https://www.sciencedaily.com/
2. https://www.nhm.ac.uk/
3. https://www.
4. https://www.discovery.com/
