The human body is a complex system that inspires endless curiosity. While humanity progressed to the point that our anatomy is well understood, some aspects remain astonishing. Our body is full of surprises and bizarre capabilities. For that reason, we decided to explore some fascinating facts about human body that will make you see yourself from a different perspective.
Brain
- The brain consumes about 20% of the body’s energy to fuel the neurones which are responsible for processing information.
- The brain’s storage capacity is comparable to recording a tv show for 300 years non stop.
- The human brain can process information faster than the world’s most powerful computer.
- The brain cannot multitask, but it switches quickly between tasks which reduces the efficiency and increases the risk of mistakes.
Eyes
- The retina contains about 120 million rod cells which detect low light levels, and about 7 million cone cells which detect colour.
- Similar to fingerprints, the iris is unique to every individual and can be used for biometric identification.
- The cornea is one of the fastest healing tissue in the human body, it can completely heal within 24 hours.
- On average, a person blinks about 29,000 times a day.
DNA
- All humans share 99.9% DNA similarity. The 0.1% difference is responsible for behaviour, appearance, and everything else that differentiates us.
- Humans share about 60% DNA similarity with bananas, a genetic heritage shared by all living organisms.
- The length of our DNA is about 10 billion miles. Keep in mind that the distance between Earth and Pluto is 3.7 billion miles.
- All the data information available in the world could potentially be stored in 2 grams of DNA.
Blood vessels
- The blood vessels length is about 60,000 miles, which is enough to wrap around the Earth twice.
- The blood in our body travels about 12,000 miles in a single day.
- Blood vessels have the ability to repair themselves through a process called angiogenesis.
- The blood vessels help regulate our body temperature through widening and narrowing.
Skin
- The skin constantly renews itself by shedding around 35,000 dead skin cells per minute.
- Our skin is home to trillions of microorganisms which protect the skin and immune system.
- It contains millions of nerve endings which are crucial for feeling sensations.
- The fingerprints are formed before birth and remain unchangeable throughout the entire life.
Muscles
- Our body has over 600 muscles, which are essential for posture, movement, and vital functions such as breathing.
- The jaw muscle is the strongest, it can exert a force of 90 kilograms on the molars when chewing.
- Not all the muscles are under our control, the smooth muscles found in our organs work automatically.
- The eye muscles are the fastest, and can make more than 100,000 movements per day.
Bones
- Our body replaces yearly about 10% of bone mass, because the bones are constantly remodelled.
- Bones are five times stronger than steel.
- Inside our bones there’s a substance which produces blood cells, it’s called bone marrow.
- Bones are living tissues, and require nutrients and oxygen to stay healthy.
