12 weird facts about the human body

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Find out why women are colder than men, why we need fingerprints and whether it is possible to predict the weather based on joint pain.

1. Is it true that feet grow with age?

Tendons and ligaments weaken over the years. Because of this, the arch of the foot can become flattened, and the feet themselves will then become wider and longer. People with obesity and diabetes are especially susceptible to this, as well as those who have swollen ankles. By the age of 70–80, the legs usually increase by one size.

2. Why women freeze harder than men

Women have more subcutaneous fat, but it is concentrated in the center of the trunk and warms the internal organs. Therefore, the limbs remain less protected from the cold. And when the hands and feet are cold, it seems that the whole body is cold.

In addition, women have a lower threshold for perception of cold. At the same temperature, the blood vessels in the fingers of women are narrowed more than in men, so the hands freeze more.

3. Is it true that there is a senile smell?

Yes. Moreover, young and middle-aged people also have a characteristic odor. But this is not yet the most surprising thing. According to research, older people smell less intense and more pleasant than the other two groups.

4. Why is coffee at room temperature so bad?

Some taste buds are more sensitive to food molecules at room temperature or slightly above room temperature. Hot coffee seems less bitter (and therefore tastier) because the taste buds that recognize bitter are simply insensitive to hot coffee. Smell also affects the perception of taste. Hot coffee smells better than cold coffee.

5. Why you can wake up from a full bladder, but not from a full intestine

Neurons in the intestine control contractions in the colon, which expels digestive waste. And the work of neurons is regulated by circadian rhythms - the internal clock of the body that wakes us up in the morning and causes sleepiness in the evening. It is thanks to the circadian rhythms that we do not need to empty our bowels at night.

The bladder can hold a strictly defined amount of urine, and it is produced by the kidneys constantly. You can usually sleep 6-8 hours without having to empty your bladder. But with some illnesses or if you drank a lot of fluids in the evening, you may wake up at night.

6. Why on a roller coaster it seems that the stomach rises to the throat

Because your internal organs are actually moving. The belt keeps you from falling, but the stomach and intestines, loosely fixed in the abdominal cavity, “fly up”. They are not damaged in this case. Nerve endings fix the movement, and it seems to you that the stomach is in the throat.

7. Why do we need fingerprints

They used to be thought to help hold objects. However, scientists from the University of Manchester argue that the grooves on the fingers only interfere with holding flat, smooth objects, reducing the contact area between the fingers and the surface. They speculate that these grooves protect the skin on the fingertips from damage and calluses.

8. Does joint pain really predict a change in the weather?

Quite possible. Before the onset of bad weather, atmospheric pressure usually drops sharply. This causes the tissues of the body to expand, which can cause swelling and pain. The effect is usually mild, but people with arthritis and sore joints may feel stronger.

Temperature also affects. For example, researchers at Tufts University found that a 10-degree drop in temperature increases osteoarthritic knee pain.

9. Why do you need to hold your breath with hiccups?

If not inhaled, carbon dioxide builds up in the body, which will stop the spasms of the diaphragm that cause hiccups. When the diaphragm contracts involuntarily, a rapid inhalation occurs. However, it is interrupted by the epiglottis, the cartilage located behind the tongue. When it closes, it produces a characteristic hiccup sound.

10. Why teeth change position, even if you wore braces as a child

This is largely due to the loss of bone behind the gums. This loss mainly occurs with aging but is also exacerbated by smoking and periodontitis. If a lot of bone is lost, the teeth will move out of place.

11. Why does it hurt in the side when running?

As you run, the diaphragm stretches and pulsates, which causes a sharp stabbing pain under the ribs, usually on the right side. To relieve pain, slow down and don't breathe too deeply.

12. Why armpit sweat smells worse than other places

There are two types of sweat glands in our body. Those located on the arms and legs secrete a mixture of water and salt. But the glands in the armpits secrete an oily substance that bacteria feed on. It is in the process of bacteria eating the oil that an unpleasant odor occurs.