The human body is an incredible biological machine that performs a wide range of functions necessary for our survival. Here are some amazing facts about the human body that you may not know.
The brain consumes the most energy.
Despite weighing only about 2% of your body weight, your brain consumes about 20% of your body’s energy. That’s because your brain is constantly active, even when you’re sleeping.
Your nails and hair never stop growing.
Your hair and nails may appear to stop growing after you die, but they continue to grow for a short time. This is due to the dehydration and shrinking of the surrounding tissues, which makes the hair and nails appear longer.
Incredible strength
The human body has an immense capacity for strength; it is estimated that if a person had the perfect muscles for their size, they could lift up to eight times their weight! This incredible feat can be attributed to specialized connectors between muscle cells, which coordinate movements to generate more power than would otherwise be possible.
Stomach acid can dissolve metal.
The hydrochloric acid in your stomach is so strong that it can dissolve metal. However, your stomach lining is protected by a layer of mucus that prevents the acid from damaging it.
The largest organ of the body
Your skin is your body’s first defense against the outside world. It’s also the largest organ, accounting for about 15% of your total body weight.
Blood vessels
The blood vessels in your body are an intricate network of arteries, veins, and capillaries that carry blood throughout your body. If you stretch them end to end, they would be long enough to circle the Earth four times.
Adaptable systems
Another remarkable thing about us is that our bodies are adaptable, from learning new skills (like playing an instrument) or adjusting to different climates, such as during travel. Even more impressive is how well we heal ourselves after injuries or illnesses; most wounds will clot within minutes through the help of platelets in our blood, showing just how resilient we are!
Stretchable DNA
The DNA in each of your cells is packed into a structure called a chromosome. If you were to unravel all the DNA in your body and stretch it end to end, it would be long enough to reach from the Earth to the Moon and back, about 238,855 miles.
Lungs surface area
Your lungs are the organs responsible for exchanging oxygen and carbon dioxide in your body. They are made up of millions of tiny air sacs called alveoli, which give them a surface area of about 70 square meters.
Heart beats more than 100,000 times a day.
Your heart is a powerful muscle that pumps blood throughout your body. It beats more than 100,000 times a day, or about 2.5 billion times throughout an average lifetime.
Your eyes can distinguish about 10 million colors.
Your eyes are incredibly complex organs that distinguish about 10 million colors. They do this by sensing different wavelengths of light and transmitting signals to your brain, which processes the information.
