Top 10 Random Facts About the Human Body

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The human body is a complex unit and so man is continuing to study and understand how it works. Some people are small. Others are huge bodybuilders. Some people have small boobs, others have large ones. There are many human body facts that we still don’t know. It accomplishes incredible things quietly without people noticing. The human body has trillions of cells which keep dividing themselves with proofreading enzymes. These enzymes ensure that any DNA error that occurs during division is fixed. The cells detect when they make mistakes and die off to eliminate the mistake. Note that the body produces the fluids it requires for lubrication. It also ensures that blood loaded with nutrients and oxygen is supplied to all the parts of the body which ensures that by-products of the processes are removed. Amazingly, all these things happen without human beings knowing that they are happening. Let’s look at some of the fascinating random human body facts you should know about the human body.

#10: A Normal Human Being Produces a Liter of Saliva Every Day

Salivary glands, abundantly found in the mouth, produce saliva. It plays a critical role in the health of the body. Water makes up a majority of the saliva. However, saliva also contains important substances the body needs to keep the teeth strong and enzymes to digest food. It keeps the mouth moist, fight germs, helps in chewing and prevent bad breath. Saliva has minerals and proteins that protect the enamel, keeps away gum diseases and prevent tooth decay. When you chew, the glands make more saliva. It means that the harder one chews, the more saliva they make. Also, sucking a candy can help the mouth to make more saliva.

Salivary glands are located in the cheek and the bottom of the mouth. You can also find them near the jaw bone and the front of the teeth. A human being has six major glands and many more minor ones. Saliva moves from the glands into the mouth through the salivary ducts. Human body facts studies show that the body makes a litter of saliva every day. The mouth makes most of the saliva late in the afternoon and the least amount at night. Diseases and medicine can impact the amount of saliva one makes. When so little saliva is made, the mouth becomes dry and leads to a condition called xerostomia. It results in dry mouth which make gums and other tissues to swell and become uncomfortable.^[1]Science behind human saliva

#9: A Person’s Belly Button has about 67 Different Species of Bacteria

According to human body facts studies, the belly button has more than 2368 different species of bacteria, most of which lie in the in the archaea.^[2]A Jungle in There: Bacteria in Belly Buttons are Highly Diverse, but Predictable On average, each person harbors about 67 different species of bacteria but people who bath don’t regularly yield more species. Scientists have always wondered why the species differ and vary from one person to another. However, they all agree that there are many factors that contribute to the differences in the species of bacteria found in human beings.

The climate in which one lives is believed to play a role in determining the species of the bacteria that will be found in the belly button. The places where one lived when young has also been found to determine the species that will be found in the belly button. Also, scientists have found that there is a correlation between where the mother of the child lived when she was pregnant and the type of species found in their offspring’s belly button.

#8: Human Being Lose 4 kg of Skin Cells per Year

The skin is one of the most important organs of the body. In fact, one of the interesting human body facts about the skin is that it changes over time in its endeavor to perform its function. It is waterproof and protects the content of the body. To perform this function, the skin regenerates itself. This results in dead skin that you remove from your body when you bath or just fall off without you knowing.

Typically, the skin consist of several layers referred to as epidermis which consists of cells made of keratin.^[3]The Appearance of Human Skin This is a hard substance that plays a role in forming nails and hair. Keratin is also responsible for forming horns, claws, hooves, spines and turtles shell.  Normally, new keratinocytes will grow at the epidermis lowest level but it bonds with the layer above it. With time, this new skin pushes itself to the top as the old skin dies and weathers. The dead skin cells break and fall off and give the newer skin a chance to take its place.

The process repeats itself after a month meaning that every after 30 days, you will have a completely new skin replacing the old skin. This is indeed one of the most amazing human body facts. Scientist estimate that our bodies consist of trillions of cells while the skin makes up 16% of the body weight. It means that human beings have about 1.5 trillion skin cells.  About 40,000 of these cells fall off every hour. As a result, human beings lose about a million skin cells in just 24 hours.  This skin forms the dust that you deposit on your table, on your clothes and on any surface that comes in contact with your body.  In a year, a normal human being sheds about 3.6 kg of dead skin. However, millions of microscopic life in our houses eat most of this dead skin.

#7: The Right Lung Is 10 Percent Bigger Than the Left One

Spongy tissue that is soft and elastic make up the human lungs. It is pinkish in color and has a trachea through which air enters the lungs. The trachea has two branches referred to as bronchi. The bronchi further divides into bronchioles. They attach themselves to the alveoli, are small sacs where carbon dioxide and oxygen exchange. A web of blood vessels wraps around each sac in order to allow the exchange of gasses via the alveoli. One of the most interesting human body facts is that if you open it up, the alveoli has a surface area that can cover a tennis ball court.

The right lung is normally shorter than the left lung because the liver sits on its top.^[4]The left lung is preferentially targeted during experimental paracoccidioidomycosis in C57BL/6 mice However, the lung is broader than the left lung. The reason why it is smaller is that it should leave some space that is occupied by the heart. Lobes separate the lungs which are branches of the bronchus. Typically, the area of the new branches will always be larger than the parent branches which makes it easier for air to gush into the lungs.

The pleura is a sac that surrounds the lung. The sack contains a liquid that creates surface tension which allows the lungs to contract and expand as they ride over the surrounding elements including the heart. The lungs are found in different pleural meaning that if the chest is punctured, only one lung collapses. The lungs are stuck inside the thorax and move when the diaphragm and ribcage get stretched. The diaphragm’s expanding movement draws air into the lungs. Its compression pushes the air out.

#6: Human Teeth Are As Strong As the Teeth of a Shark

Even though the size and the number of teeth in the tiger shark are not the same, they are just as strong. Scientists made this discovery while investigating amazing human facts that compared the teeth of human beings to those of sharks. They discovered that even though the teeth of the shark are coated with a tough enamel, the teeth are not stronger than those of human beings.

According to Professor Matthias Epple, human teeth have a special arrangement. Proteins, whose main function is to ensure that no crack runs through it, glue them together. The University of Duisburg-Essen German don together with other researchers studied the teeth of a tiger shark and shortfin mako and discovered that the teeth were similar in composition even though the two reptiles use the teeth for different purposes.

They found that the human enamel is softer and consist of a mineral hydroxyapatite which is normally found in bones. They also observed that the overall strength and structure of the shark and humans teeth were just on par. There are only two main differences between human teeth and shark teeth. Shark teeth replace themselves continually, and never develop cavities. This was attributed to fluoroapatite and the fact that the teeth are always immersed in salt water.^[5]Science – ScienceShot: Human Teeth as Hard as Shark Teeth

#5: The Human Nose Has the Capability of Detecting a Trillion Smells

According to estimates, the human nose can detect, differentiate, and distinguish over a trillion scents. This is contrary to the old human body facts study which had estimated that the human sense of smell could only detect about 10,000 odors.^[6]Science – Human Nose Can Detect a Trillion Smells This is contrary to the existing myth which suggests that human beings are poor at detecting smells. According to a human body facts study by Rockefeller University neurobiologists Leslie Vosshall, human beings can detect more smells than previously thought.  Humans can detect smell by inhaling the air that contains the odor molecules. The odor binds to the receptor inside one’s nose and relays the message to the brain which in turn processes it and unveil the information.

#4: The Blood Makes Up 8% of the Human Body

Scientists estimate the amount of blood in the human body to make up 8 % of the body. An average person weighing between 75-90 kg will contain about 4.7- 5.5 liters of blood. A child weighing about 40kg will have about 2.5- 3 liters of blood. However, it is important to note that women have less blood compared to their male counterparts because they lose a lot of it through menstruation. Also, scientists claim that men produce more blood because of higher levels of erythrocyte resulting from testosterone production. Also, people who live in higher altitude have an additional 1.9 liters of blood due to being exposed to low levels of oxygen. On average, the human blood weighs about 4.4 kg. In women, it is slightly less than that in men.^[7]The Blood Volume of Normal Women

#3: In An Average Lifespan, the Human Heart Beats More Than Three Billion Times

The human heart beats between a range of 70 and 110 beats per minute depending on the age, size of the person, and the situation people find themselves in. When exercising, the heartbeat increases to help supply more oxygen to various parts of the body, including other muscles in the body. In some strenuous cases, the heartbeat may go up to 200 times per minute.^[8]UCSB ScienceLine – How many times does your heart beat? However, all said and done, scientists estimate that on average, the heartbeat will be more than three billion times for an average lifespan.

#2: Babies Start Shedding a Tear After They Are One Month Old

Babies enter the world by crying. However, human body facts studies show that they only cry and do not shed tears. The reason is that their tear glands are underdeveloped and only produce enough fluids to keep the eyes moist. So you will not see tears running until the child is between 1-8 months old. If they shed tears before one month, they have blocked tear ducts which will unblock within the first year. Help the tear ducts to unclog by massaging them or seeking medical help.^[9]MedlinePlus – Blocked tear duct

#1: Brain Remains Active Even When Asleep

The brain is an interesting organ. Humans are consistently trying to better understand it through research and by creating artificial intelligence. Originally, scientists believed that the brain rests when one is sleeping. However, new human body facts studies show that sometimes the brain is more active when people are asleep than when they are awake.

While people are asleep, the brain processes complex information. We then use this information in order to make decisions when we wake up. Also, the brain consolidates older memories such as from school, form new ones, and links them to the older ones while people are asleep. This is why people will always be aware of what is happening in their external environment even when they are asleep.^[10]Neurophysiological Evidence for the Detection of External Stimuli During Sleep