10 Facts About the Human Body That May Leave You Questioning Everything

It might seem that we know our body like the back of our hand. We’ve been living in it for so many years, so nothing seems to be surprising anymore. However, we still have some features that we probably have never heard of. In any case, here’s a chance for us to get to know ourselves a bit better.

Bright Side is revealing 10 secrets you didn’t know your body had.

1. Your tongue can get fat.

Not only do we gain a few inches in our waist, but also in our tongue. In many cases, an overweight tongue leads to obstructive sleep apnea. One study found that obese people who suffered from the condition had larger tongues than those who only had excessive weight. The good news is that you can trim down your tongue if you lose overall body fat.

2. The longer your finger is, the more testosterone you have.

The ratio between the index finger and your ring finger is directly connected to how much testosterone you have. If your ring finger is longer, you have high levels of testosterone in your body. Women who have shorter index fingers are stronger due to higher exposure to testosterone in the womb.

3. Our stomach acid is so strong, it could burn a hole through our body if we didn’t have any lining.

We have a special lining that protects our stomach from the effects of acid. However, we can experience the burning feeling sometimes, for example, due to acid reflux and heartburn. The worst-case scenario is when the digestive system doesn’t work well, which leads to us suffering from ulcers.

4. We produce 1-2 liters of saliva every day.

At certain times, we have more saliva than usual due to various triggers, yet we produce approximately the same amount of saliva daily.

5. Our brain doesn’t feel pain.

The brain only warns us of an injury or damage and can’t feel pain since it doesn’t have special receptors. So when we get headaches, it’s our scalp, neck, sinuses, eyes, and so on that identify pain. That’s why even neurosurgical operations can be done while the patient is still awake.

6. A woman’s heart beats faster than a man’s.

The female organ is smaller (around 120 g compared to the male organ at 180 g), so it beats faster to make up for its size. The average female heart beats around 70-85 times per minute, while the male one beats between 78-82 times.

7. Our immune system doesn’t know we have eyes.

Our eyes have an immune privilege that protects the vital organs from getting destroyed by our own immune system if it notices them. It prevents swelling and changing of the tissue, thus protecting our vision. That’s why it’s easy to do research and therapy, since the immune system doesn’t reject anything.

8. Humans can glow, we just can’t see it.

The intensity of the light, which is emitted by our body, is 1,000 times lower than the sensitivity of our eyes. However, we can see it easily with the help of special sensitive cameras. Our brightest spots are the forehead, neck, and cheeks, which glow the most in the late afternoon.

9. Only 39% of people have an extra knee bone.

Not only is it pointless, but it also causes osteoarthritis. The bone is called the fabella and has no evolutionary reason to exist. It’s found in the tendon that attaches the muscle to the thigh bone. It’s believed that the bone creates an uneven force on the knee and makes cartilage damage more likely.

10. We have different kneecaps until we’re 3-5 years old.

Most people think that babies are born without kneecaps, however, they do have them, but the material is a bit different. Babies’ kneecaps are made entirely of cartilage. This is in order to provide an easier exit through the birth canal. Later, the kneecaps harden.

What do you know about the human body that most people don’t? Do you have any rare body features?