The human body is an extraordinarily complex system that requires millions of tiny parts working in tandem to keep it up and running. Though having a body is something that all humans share, many people understand very little about their own inner-workings. However, when you consider how complex and intricate the human body really is, this isn’t all that surprising. Even medical doctors, who spend years studying human anatomy and health, don’t understand everything about how the body functions. So, let’s look at some surprising facts about human body.
While you may not be an expert in the human body, you probably know a bit about some of the most important parts, like the skin, heart, eyes, stomach, lungs, and so on. These are the organs that get the most attention, either because they are the most visible or because they are fundamental to the body’s most basic operations. In any case, there are a number of interesting facts about the human body and its many organs that you may not have discussed with your doctor.
Surprising Facts about Your Mouth
Let’s begin with the teeth, an element of the human body that we deal with every day. Between chewing, speaking, and brushing, you end up using your teeth a lot more than you may realize. However, you may not realize that some of your teeth aren’t even necessary. That’s right, you don’t even need some of those chompers that you find yourself scrubbing clean every day.
This is because wisdom teeth are just an evolutionary leftover from our ancestors. In the distant past, humans had smaller brains, and thus more room in their mouth for an additional set of molars. As natural human evolution caused the brain to increase in size, it left less and less room in the mouth for wisdom teeth. Nowadays, people often need to get their wisdom teeth removed, as there is simply not enough room for them.
Speaking of your mouth, have you ever wondered why people yawn when they’re sleepy? You may think that it is our body’s way of communicating the feeling of exhaustion (which it can be), but from an evolutionary standpoint, this doesn’t seem very useful.
The latest scientific research suggests that yawning actually helps regulate the temperature of the body. When the temperature of the brain changes dramatically (which can happen when you’re tired), yawning helps bring in air to cool it down. However, this is just a theory. The truth is that nobody really knows why we yawn or what purpose it serves.
The Middle of the Human Body
Moving down to the torso, let’s look at one of the strangest parts of the human body: the bellybutton. Really, bellybuttons are just the part of the body where the umbilical cord was attached prior to being cut at birth. They serve no real purpose. That said, bellybuttons are known for catching lint from our clothes.
While this may seem like just a happy accident, it turns out that our bellybuttons grow special hairs that are designed to catch lint. So, the next time you pull a wad of lint out of your bellybutton, remember that your bellybutton was just trying to do you a favor!
Now it’s time to look at one of the most well-known and important organs: the human heart. You probably know that the heart helps pump blood and oxygen throughout the body. In doing so, the heart “beats,” with this beat changing based on various factors, from the health of your cardiovascular system to your mood.
However, did you know that your heart will sync up to the rhythm when you listen to music? If you’re listening to slow-paced music, your heart will likely slow down to match the tempo. Alternatively, if the music is fast, your heartbeat will accelerate accordingly.
Your Skin Has Some Surprising Facts
Moving back to the body’s outer layer, we have yet to discuss skin, the body’s largest and most visible organ. We all know that skin can shed and regrow overtime. When your skin gets particularly dry, you can probably see large flakes of old skin that detach and fall off the body completely.
However, did you know that your skin sheds over half a million particles of so-called “dead” skin every hour? That’s right. Even though your skin doesn’t look like it’s doing anything, it is constantly shedding and regrowing at a rapid pace.
The Most Surprising Facts About the Human Body
Finally, we will discuss one of the strangest and most surprising facts about your hands. Though you probably use your hands all the time to accomplish daily tasks, you may not realize that a majority of your hand’s strength lies in what seems to be the least important part: the pinky finger.
Over 50% of your hand’s strength comes from the pinky finger. So, the next time you go to pick up a bowling ball or carry a stack of books, remember that your pinky finger is the one doing the heavy lifting!
We hope that you enjoyed these surprising facts about the human body. Our bodies really are a treasure trove of mystery and fascinating processes. All we have to do is look a little closer to learn about these amazing shells we call home!
