For each one of us, our bodies are the most intimate object we know, and yet most of us don't know enough about it. Because our bodies are with us from the start, most of us tend to forget how extraordinary they are by the time we are old enough to start noticing it's unique features, quirks, functions and secrets. And while we are aware of the fact that our bodies go through thousands of processes all at once, there are a few things it does that we have no idea about. So, here are 7 most bizarre facts about human bodies that you probably never knew!
1. The human nose can detect 1 trillion different scents..!
Earlier it was believed that the human nose can detect just 10,000 different scents. However, the researchers of the Rockefeller University of New York has illustrated that the human nose can distinguish at least 1 trillion different scents. Scientists who study senses have suspected a higher number for some time, but a few studies like Rockefeller's have attempted to explore the limits of the human nose's receptive potential.
2. Human body emits light..!
The human body glows! It glows by emitting a visible light in extremely small quantities at levels that rise and fall with the day. According to a study conducted in 2009 by the Japanese researchers, the human body emits visible light, 1000 times less intense than the levels to which our naked eyes can see. We can't see it, but humans glow with the form of bioluminescence, which is visible lights and just too dim for our weak eyes to pick up on.
3. Teeth of a human being are as strong as shark teeth..!
We all are aware of the fact that sharks are one of the most dangerous killers of oceans. Their massive size and formidable teeth can make anyone feel dreadful, but even humans have the same type of teeth. A report from the Journal of Structural Biology explains that human teeth are just as strong as the teeth of sharks. And it never became a striking topic because sharks rip the flesh of their prey with cutting bites and humans largely depend upon notched knives and other tools.
4. 67 distinct types of bacteria lives in the belly button..!
The skin of an average human houses billions of individual bacteria, but the belly button of humans carry around 67 various types of bacteria in them. According to the Public Library of Science, 67 distinct types of bacteria live in a single belly button. The most common bacteria which is found are Phylotypes. Not all the belly buttons have the same quantity of the bacteria, and it can be more or less according to the bodies and some hygiene aspects.
5. 35 kg of skin recedes during an average human lifespan..!
According to a 2011 study published in the Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, humans shed between 0.03 and 0.09g of skin every hour. That may sound like nothing, but throughout a lifetime it adds up about 35kg or roughly half the bodyweight. It is practically not possible to see this process happening, but every minute of the day we lose about 30,000 to 40,000 dead skin cells off the surface of the skin, and that's almost 4kg of cells every year, but don't think that your skin might wear-out!
6. Stomach acid can almost dissolve a razorblade..!
The stomach is the organ that digests the food we eat, and it's acid consists of Hydrochloric acid, Potassium Chloride and Sodium Chloride. It helps to kills bacteria, activates enzymes, which makes it a very strong acid. According to the study by Paul K. Li, it takes 24 hours for a razor blade to dissolve and lose its original weight and become fragile with losing 63% of its weight in the stomach acid. Researchers didn't ingest a razor blade to test this and they studied it in vitro, meaning outside the body in a simulated environment, because swallowing a razor blade can have some deadly consequences on the body, and one should not try it.
7. About 60% of the adult human body is just water..!
Water is exceptionally important for us. However, our entire body is filled with a lot of water. According to H.H. Mitchell, Journal of Biological Chemistry 158, the adult human body is about 60% of water. In that, the brain and heart are composed of 73% water, and the lungs are about 83% water. All of this regulates our internal body temperature by sweating and respiration. And water similarly serves many essential functions to keep it all going.
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Reference:
- www.sciencemag.org
- www.thehealthy.com
- www.online.ucpress.edu
- www.selecthealth.org
- www.scientiaeducare.com