20 Weird Facts About The Human Body

Human body. Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

20 Weird Facts About The Human Body

Have you ever thought of your body as being weird at times? The human body is a fascinating and complex machine that performs countless functions and processes each day. The body’s functions may appear strange at times, but they’re part of our world and every fact about it, no matter how gross, is a lesson in celebrating science and ourselves. It may get weird, but don’t hesitate to share think of it as a celebration of our wild and wonderful bodies after all.

 From the incredible capabilities of the brain to the strength of the muscles, the human body resembles some form of biological engineering. However, it also has some surprising and unusual features that many people may not be aware of.

 In this list, we’ll explore 20 weird facts about the human body, from the strange abilities of our senses to the surprising properties of our bodily fluids. Let’s walk through the journey of this amazing journey of the workings of the human body.

1. The Human Nose Detects Over 1 Trillion Different Scents

Human nose. Photo by Marina Vitale on Unsplash

Unknown to many the nose functions in a very extraordinary way with the ability to detect even the strongest of scents. According to olfactory scientists, the human nose has a complex network of 400 olfactory receptors and specialized cells that are capable of distinguishing the capacity to distinguish over 1 trillion different odors.

2. The Masseter Is The Strongest Muscle

The Jaw. Photo by Amr Taha™ on Unsplash

The strongest muscle in the body based on its weight is called the masseter muscle and is located in the jaw. Interestingly, this muscle aids in the chewing process of food, while also helping us to break down our food into smaller pieces for it to be swallowed. Its strength is comparable to a force of up to 600 pounds per square inch, making it more powerful than any other muscle in the body.

However, the masseter muscle is also said to be susceptible to fatigue and injury, particularly if it is overworked or strained.

3. Your Head Is Filled With About 100,000 Hairs

Human hair is a very important component of the human body and many people put a lot of investment in it. The number of hairs that someone has on their head can vary by individual and is influenced by a variety of factors, including genetics, age, and hormones. According to research, the average person has about 100,000 hairs on their head at one time. These hairs are located beneath the skin and contain a protein called keratin and are produced by hair follicles.

In the human body, hair plays a very big role in protecting the scalp from sunlight and injury, regulating body temperature, and providing sensory information. Hair growth is influenced by a variety of factors, including genetics, age, and hormones.

4. Soap Is Made From Oils And Fat Produced By The Body

Bar Soaps. Photo by Nathan Powers on Unsplash

It may sound weird to many but soap is made of naturally occurring oils and fat produced by the body. These animal fats and vegetable oils are esters of the alcohol, propane-1,2,3-triol (glycerol) CH2OHCHOHCH2OH and long chain carboxylic acids (often known as fatty acids) RCO2H, where the alkyl groups contain between 7 and 21 carbon atoms. Under normal circumstances, the body contains enough fat to produce approximately 7 bars of soap.

5. The Body Is Capable Of Producing 10 Liters Of Sweat Per Day

The human body has a remarkable ability to regulate its internal temperature, and one of the ways it does this is through the production of fluids secreted by the sweat glands in the skin or sweating. This process is known as perspiration. It has been affirmed that the rate at which a person sweats is proportional to metabolic rate and can produce up to 3 to 4 liters per hour or as much as 10 liters per day. Training and heat acclimatization may increase sweat rate by 10 to 20 percent or 200 to 300 ml per hour. The purpose of sweat is to cool the body by evaporating from the skin’s surface and removing toxins and other waste products from the body.

6. The Human Body Contains Enough Iron To Make A Small Metal Nail

Metal nail.Photo by engin akyurt on Unsplash

Iron is an essential mineral that plays a critical role in many bodily functions, including the production of red blood cells and oxygen transport throughout the body. Interestingly, the quantity of iron in the body is comparable outside the body making a metal nail 3 in. (7.5 cm) long. Most of this iron is in the blood.  

7. The Eye Can Distinguish Over 10 Million Different Colors

Eye. Photo by Arteum.ro on Unsplash

A healthy human eye is a complex organ with three types of cone cells in the retina, each of which can register about 100 different color shades. Based on this information, most researchers estimate that the human eye can distinguish over 10 million different colors.

8. The Body Contains Enough Carbon To Fill 9,000 Lead Pencils

Lead Pencil. Photo by Solen Feyissa on Unsplash

Almost 18% of the human body’s mass is made up of carbon, which is about 16kg distributed throughout the body. This amount of carbon is enough to provide ‘lead’ (which is really graphite) for about 9,000 pencils.

9. The Human Body Produces Enough Saliva In A Lifetime To Fill Two Swimming Pools

Swimming Pool. Photo by Adheesha Paranagama on Unsplash

It may be difficult to believe that the average human produces 25,000 quarts of saliva or spit in a lifetime. That’s enough saliva to fill 2 swimming pools. Sounds absurd. This is produced by the salivary glands in the mouth, which play a critical role in digestion.

10. The Human Brain Is About 60% Fat

Human Brain. Photo by Robina Weermeijer on Unsplash

The human brain is one of the most complex and important organs in the body, and it is composed of a variety of different substances, including fat. Sixty percent of the human brain is made of fat. Not only does that make it the fattiest organ in the human body, but these fatty acids are crucial for your brain’s performance. They form the myelin sheath that surrounds and insulates nerve fibers, allowing for efficient communication between different brain parts. Apart from this, they also play a role in the formation and storage of memories and are essential for overall brain health and function.  So it is essential to keep your brain well nourished.

Read more about 15 Mind-Blowing Facts about the Brain.

11. The Body Can Also Produce Alcohol

We all know that alcohol is formed through fermentation, where the yeast and bacteria react with the sugar, forming ethanol. The chemical ethanol is used in alcoholic beverages. Similarly, a person produces alcohol through regular foods like carbohydrates, fermenting the yeast and bacteria present inside his/her intestine, though, this amount is relatively less. However, in some instances, it may contribute to a person’s blood alcohol level and may even affect their behavior and judgment. This information is crucial in interpreting the Alco blow used to measure the amount of alcohol in the system.

Read about 30 Must-Know Facts about Alcohol.

12. The Skin Has 1,000 Different Species Of Bacteria

Our skin is home to millions of bacteria, fungi, and viruses that compose the skin microbiota, offering a variety of distinct ecosystems, which create conditions that favor different subsets of organisms. It is said to contain 1,000 different species of bacteria that have essential roles in the protection against invading pathogens, the education of our immune system, and the breakdown of natural products.

Read about 10 Things You Need To Know about Bacteria.

13. The Nose And Ears Never Stop Growing

At some point in your life, you may realize that your nose or ear is bigger than usual. This often passes as just a feeling that is not given much consideration. Senior citizens might also seem to have sharp pointed noses, unlike their youth, raising the question, does the human nose and ear continue to grow in adulthood?  The answer is “Yes”, as we age, our noses and our ears do get bigger, but not because they are growing. You see, our nose and our ears are made of cartilage and while many people mistakenly believe that cartilage never stops growing, the fact is cartilage does stop growing. However, cartilage is made of collagen and other fibers that begin to break down as we age. The result is drooping. So what appears to be growth is just gravity doing its job.

14. The Body Has Enough Sodium To Fill 3 Saltshakers

The human body contains a significant amount of sodium, a mineral that is essential for many bodily functions, including regulating blood pressure, maintaining fluid balance, and transmitting nerve impulses. It is estimated that we need about 500 mg of sodium daily for these vital functions, while, a single dash of table salt contains about 150 milligrams of sodium. So we can correctly deduce that the amount of salt that the body needs can fill 3 salt shakers though this may also depend on the amount of salt one takes at any given time.

15. The Body Can Produce Enough Electricity To Power A Small Light Bulb

Scientists have confirmed that the human body contains about 100 billion microscopic cells called neurons. This is enough to generate enough electricity to power a light bulb. This phenomenon, known as bioelectricity, is a natural part of the body’s functioning, and plays an important role in many bodily processes, including muscle contraction and nerve signaling.

16. The Body Has More Than 600 Muscles

Muscles have a range of functions from pumping blood and supporting the movement to lifting heavy weights or giving birth. Muscles work by either contracting or relaxing to cause movement. This movement may be voluntary (meaning the movement is made consciously) or done without conscious awareness (involuntary). In the human body, it is estimated that there are about 600 muscles present carrying all these functions.

17. The Eye Can See The Flicker Of A Candle From Up To 30 Miles Away

The human eye is seen as a complex and powerful organ. It is capable of detecting and processing an enormous amount of visual information. One of its uniqueness is its ability to detect the flicker of a candle flame from up to 30 miles away on a clear night. By comparing the candle flame to a magnitude-six star, the researchers discovered that you would need 7 × 50 binoculars to see a candle 10 miles away. Furthermore, the farthest from which an average unaided human could see a candle is about 1.6 miles. This incredible sensitivity is due to the structure of the eye, which is able to detect very small changes in light intensity.

18. The Body Contains Enough Water To Fill A 10-Gallon Barrel

Water is essential to life, and the human body is no exception. It is said that 70% of your body mass is water. For a 154-pound (70-kilogram) man this translates to a little over 10.5 gallons (42 liters) of water in his body: 7 gallons (28 liters) inside the cells, 2.5 gallons (about 10.5 liters) in the space around the cells, and slightly less than 1 gallon (3.5 liters, or about 8% of the total amount of water) in the blood. Thus, water is life and we need to replenish this more often than not.

19. The Body Can Produce Enough Heat In 30 Minutes To Boil Half A Gallon Of Water

Your body is the epitome of a study on the laws of thermodynamics. In fact, it is capable of producing an impressive amount of heat, and in just 30 minutes, it can generate enough heat to boil half a gallon of water. This heat is produced by the metabolic processes that take place in the body, which generate energy and produce waste heat as a byproduct. The body has several mechanisms for regulating its temperature, including sweating, shivering, and adjusting blood flow to the skin. These processes help to maintain a stable body temperature, which is essential for proper bodily function.

20. The Human Body Can Digest Food Even While Upside Down

Stomach. Photo by Mateus Campos Felipe on Unsplash

Food doesn’t need gravity to reach your stomach. The human body is capable of digesting food in a variety of positions, including upside-down. Due to peristalsis, when food is swallowed, it passes through the esophagus and into the stomach, where it is mixed with digestive juices and broken down into smaller particles. It then goes to the small intestine, where the majority of nutrients are absorbed into the bloodstream. Finally, the remaining waste products are passed through the large intestine and out of the body.

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