30 curiosities about the human body that will surprise you

The human body is something very complex and, every year, scientists find something new and very striking, which makes us wonder to what extent we are aware of our organic packaging.

To help you know a little more about our organism here We will see 30 curiosities about the human body, in addition to explaining some details about them.

• Related article: "The 12 systems of the human body (and how they work)"

30 curiosities about the human body

Next we will see a few and interesting curiosities about the human body.

1. The bone and bigger

In the human body there are bones of all kinds of length, but the longest is, without a doubt, the femur. This bone is found in both legs, and has an average length of 26.74% the height of the person, although the proportion varies according to sex and ethnic origin.

It is a particularly useful bone in anthropology, since it is the one that allows estimating the height of a person, even if only this bone is preserved.

2. Smaller bone

You cannot talk about the largest bone without mentioning the smallest. In this case we are talking about the tiny stapes, a tiny bone that is found in the ear and has a length of between 2.5 and 3 centimeters.

3. Our eyes change as we grow

At birth, most children have light eyes, many of them blue.

However, those with parents with darker eyes, when exposed to the sun's rays, generate more melanin than the children of parents with light eyes, turning their eyes the same color as their parents.

• You may be interested: "The 11 parts of the eye and their functions"

4. Penis size

On average, the erect human penis has a ratio of three times the size of the thumb. On average, the flaccid penis measures about 9 cm, while the erect one is 13 cm. However, if we want to get more specific, we must talk about the differences found between races.

On average, in Caucasian people the penis measures about 13 cm, while black Africans are the longest, with about 17 cm, and Asians, the smallest, with about 10 cm.

5. Our scent

Just as each one of us has a characteristic face, we also generate a different smell. Our aroma is a sign that can identify usSince the human nose is capable of associating up to 50,000 different scents, and you can perfectly recognize someone just by breathing in their scent.

The reason we smell different is due to several factors. Among them is genetics, in addition to our diet and, of course, our body hygiene.

6. How many flatulence do we expel?

When we talk about how human beings expel gas, we are not only referring to the process of respiration. Flatulence, which is the finest way to refer to these smelly gases, are issued an average of 14 times per day / person. In more specific terms, our wind speeds represent between 0.5 and 2 liters of gas per day.

7. The longest organ

The longest organ is the small intestine, which can measure up to 3 meters while the person is alive. When it dies, it expands, reaching between 7 and 8 meters in length.

8. We are a living world

Human beings and, in general, the vast majority of animals, we are a true living world for billions of microorganisms. At a microscopic level, the number of cells and bacteria that inhabit and make up our body is extremely high. It is estimated that there are between 10 and 50 billion cells in the body and that approximately 300 million die every 60 seconds.

About 32 million bacteria live in every centimeter of skin, the vast majority of which, about 95%, are harmless. As for the mouth, up to 40 thousand bacteria can be found. In fact, when we don't kiss, we transmit about 280 different types of bacteria.

There are so many bacteria that live in us that if they were all collected and put in a bag, it would weigh two kilos more.

9. Life after being beheaded

Although this data could not be rigorously demonstrated, given how unethical it would be to verify it, it has been said that in the event that a person is beheaded, the head will give some signs of life for up to 20 seconds.

It is not well known if the head is still conscious in those seconds, nor is it possible to ask what it thinks or what it feels since It does not have vocal cords to make any sound, plus neck muscles and breathing are required to speak.

10. When we die we weigh less

When a person dies, they almost immediately lose about 21 grams. This can be material for the most superstitious, who believe in the human soul, however there is scientific explanation. When we die we deflate quickly, releasing gases from the stomach and lungs.

After a few hours, other chemical processes occur that also alter the weight of the corpse, swelling, making it smell bad and even making strange noises.

11. How many muscles do we move when making gestures?

There are muscles in the face, nobody has doubts about that, the question is how many of them are involved in each of the gestures we make in our day to day life. When we smile we use 17, while when we frown there are many more, up to 43. When we get angry, about 37 are used, being also the same when we cry.

So now you know. Instead of buying products from the telemarkets to do facial gymnastics, the healthiest and most economical thing is to get excited.

12. Where are there more bones?

Of the total 206 bones that an adult human being has, about a quarter of them are found in the feet.

Each foot has 26 ossicles, these being: seven tarsal bones (talus, calcaneus, navicular, cuboid and the three wedges), five metatarsal bones and fourteen phalanges, three for each toe, except the first one, which has two.

13. Languages ​​and fingerprints are unique

Fingerprints have become one of the most effective badges for identifying a person.

Each person has their own, and it is not a trait that can be inherited or depends on genetics, whereupon even identical twins do not share fingerprints.

The same thing happens with the human tongue. Each person has a different one, with its more or less marked convolutions, its own shape and the distribution of the taste buds.

14. The force of a human bite

Although we are not crocodiles, some of the animals whose jaws are capable of destroying bones, cartilage and tissues of its poor prey, yes that the force of our bite is not mucus at all of Turkey.

The absolute strength of the muscles involved in this process, if it could be channeled in only one direction, would be 195 kg.

15. Hairs on the eyebrows

Although there are people with very hairy eyebrows and others with very fine eyebrows, it can be indicated that, on average, people usually have about 250 hairs in each of them.

The useful life of these tegumentary structures is about 4 months, and their growth factor is relatively fast.

16. More bones at birth

There are differences between the number of bones when we are born and when we have reached adulthood. By the time we have emerged from the womb and are already giving our first signs of life as living beings, we have about 300 bones.

However, As we grow, some of these end up welding with each other, as is the case with the bones of the skull., making the number, when they reach adults, is reduced to about 206.

But curiously there are bones that newborns do not have while adults do. An example of this are the kneecaps, which form between 6 and 12 months of life.

• You may be interested: "Bones of the head (skull): how many are there and what are they called?"

17. Blink: a small gesture of the eye, a great function for the organism

It has been calculated that, on average, we blink between 15 and 20 times per minute. This fleeting action is very important, since it prevents the eye from accumulating dust, in addition to hydrating it.

If we did not make this small gesture every two to three, our eyes could become red, inflamed, more prone to dryness and infections and we would risk losing them.

18. Five senses: lie!

Although traditionally in school we have been taught that there are five senses of the human body (hearing, taste, smell, sight and touch) really human beings have more senses.

As to this day, the research still does not continue to clarify how many senses we human beings have, we can mention a few that are very interesting.

Among them we have the sense of balance, kinesthesia (perception of movement), proprioception (perception of one's own body), mechanoreception (motor responsiveness), nociception (ability to feel pain)...

19. Small, but bully

In our hands we have the little finger, a very small finger, but a bully, since it is the strongest of those that make up the hand.

Their presence is essential so that we can grasp objects with the necessary force to handle them. In fact, it has been seen that people who have lost this finger due to an accident have lost about half their strength in the limb.

20. Strong, but not hunky

The fingers are strong, but they are not fleshy. By this we mean that although they have a lot of strength to handle objects, especially the little finger as we said before, these parts of the body do not have any muscle.

No matter how much strength and dexterity you have when doing a daily action, such as opening and closing a coat, pick up a dumbbell or hold something is not by the action of the muscles of the fingers, since they do not there are.

The real ones involved in these actions are the combined movements of bones and tendons., in addition to the muscles of the palms of the hands.

21. Stomach and intestines: a second brain?

According to those written by James Greenblatt in 2011, there are more neurons in the digestive tract than anywhere else besides the brain. In fact, the stomach has been seen to be independent from the brain.

The stomach and intestines have their own reflexes, acting freely with the brain and acting consequently both in digestion and emotional aspects.

That is why we may have this feeling of butterflies in our stomach when we fall in love.

22. Bones are stronger than steel

This statement may surprise many, especially those who have ever broken a bone, but the truth is that our skeletal system has an incredible hardness.

Bones can handle pressure better than iron, and even have a greater resistance than a steel bar with the same width, being up to 5 times better.

However, and despite this surprising fact, it does not mean that human bones cannot be broken, and that is why unnecessary risks should not be taken and put to the test what has been said in that curiosity.

23. We shine

Many people shine like Hollywood stars, but this curiosity does not refer to this saying, but must be interpreted in its most literal sense: human beings emit light.

Our body is capable of emitting light, in the form of glitter, however, the intensity of these flashes is about 1,000 less than what our eyes are capable of capturing.

24. Body position affects our mood and memory

The ability to learn can be affected by the position in which we find ourselves. It has been seen that if one leans down, one tends to think more negatively and, even, one is more prone to neglect and forgetfulness.

Instead, if you sit up, facing that direction, your mood will probably be elevated, remembering more easily.

25. Stomach: he melts metals

It is well known that stomach acid is capable of dissolving food and eliminating all kinds of particles, but its true power may continue to be underestimated.

This liquid is capable of melting much harder things, such as metals. In fact, an investigation by the Meridia Huron Hospital consisted of leaving razor blades in acids similar to the same ones we have in our stomach.

The result: the blades, after just one day, had been cut by more than half. The stomach is an organ capable of melting metals.

26. The kidneys: the body's purifier

The kidneys are designed to clean and filter dirt from the body. They are the purifier of the body, since they are a perfect biological purification and cleaning machine.

In just five minutes they are able to have filtered all the blood in the body, and it is not exactly something that has little merit, since it is five liters of blood.

27. How would we die before? From hunger or from sleep?

A normal person would die sooner from lack of sleep than from hunger.

The human body needs to sleep, since it is the time of day that it can rest, restructure its thoughts and put organ functions at a good pace. If you do not sleep any day, after 10 days the body would collapse and we would die.

On the other hand, it is longer that we can last without eating, about two weeks. Although it is not good not to eat anything either, a normal person has enough reserves to be able to last without eating any food for that time.

28. Retina

The retina is a layer of tissue found on the inside of the eye. This structure covers about 650 square millimeters in extension, and contains 137 million light sensitive cells.

These cells are of two types: on the one hand, we have the rods, which allow us to see in black and white and are about 130 million, while on the other we have the cones, which allow color vision and are about 7 millions.

29. Minerals

All kinds of minerals are found in the body, either composing structures such as bones or dissolved in fluids such as blood.

The main minerals in the human body are calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, chlorine, sulfur, magnesium, manganese, iron, iodine, fluorine, zinc, cobalt, and selenium. There are others, but of what are considered pure minerals there are only four: apatite, aragonite, calcite, and cristobalite.

30. Percentage and loss of water

The human body is composed of between 60 and 80% water, the percentages of the liquid element being higher when it is a baby and lower as it grows.

The body is very sensitive to water loss. When we lose about 1% of our body weight in water, we start to feel thirsty.

If this percentage rises to 5% we start to get dizzy and even faint. If we reach 10% we will have a serious problem, since we will be suffering from severe dehydration and a high risk of dying.

BONUS How many things could be done with our body?

Perhaps this is the most sadistic of all the curiosities that appear here, but the truth is that with our organism we could do a lot of things, if the means were found to do so. Here we will see other curiosities about the human body of this type.

• The amount of sulfur in our body is enough to make a powerful flea control for a medium-sized dog. As for the carbon we have, it would be useful to make about 900 pencils.
• The iron that we have in our body is enough to make a small clock gear.
• A person with a medium body mass index, neither overweight nor underweight, has enough fat to make 7 bars of soap.
• The amount of water that our body has would be enough to fill fifty one-liter bottles.

Bibliographic references:

• Nakano, T., Kato, M., Morito, Y., Itoi, S., Kitazawa, S. (2013). Blink-related momentary activation of the default mode network while viewing videos. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 110(2):702-6. doi: 10.1073 / pnas.1214804110.
• Almodóvar, M. Á. (2014). The second brain: Discover the importance of the digestive system for your health (Body and Health). Paidos
• Li, P. K., Spittler, C., Taylor, C. W., Sponseller, D., Chung, R. S. (1997). In vitro effects of simulated gastric juice on swallowed metal objects: implications for practical management. Gastrointest Endosc. 46(2):152-5.