20+ Mysteries About the Human Body You’ve Never Even Thought About

1. You'll have a new skeleton in 10 years

Image Source: Reddit

Did you know that you will have a brand new skeleton every 10 years? This is because the cells in the skeletal system are always regenerating and so in roughly 10 years time, you will have a completely new set of bones inside your body…pretty cool right?

2. Half of the strength in your hand comes from your pinkie finger

Image Source: Reddit

I bet you wouldn’t assume that half of your hand strength would come from your smallest finger! You’re probably wondering how this is possible, but it turns out that the pinkie helps the thumb to pinch and supports your other three fingers to give more power.

3. You can’t tickle yourself

Image Source: Smithsonian Magazine

Have you ever noticed that you can tickle other people, but have you ever tried to tickle yourself…well you can’t because it is physically impossible! Your brain predicts the sensation we would feel if you tried to tickle yourself and so it counteracts the response.

4. Humans are just as hairy as chimpanzees

Image Source: Reddit

Although from the outside you would probably assume that chimpanzees must be more hairy than humans just by looking at them, research has proven that they both have just as many hairs. The difference is humans have finer hair which make it harder to see, creating the illusion that they are not as hairy.

5. Babies aren’t born with kneecaps

Image Source: Reddit

You might be wondering how this can be possible, but it turns out that you were not actually born with knee caps just cartilage which slowly turns into bone as humans reach the age of 2 to 6 years old. This process continues and knee caps aren’t fully developed until early adulthood.

6. Everyone has a unique tongue print

Image Source: Reddit

We all know that humans have a unique fingerprint, but did you know they also have a unique tongue print? Research studies have compared the shape and texture of individual tongues using a special mapping device which has revealed not one of us has the same tongue.

7. Human bones are stronger than steel

Image Source: Reddit

You’re probably wondering how human bones could possibly be stronger than steel…well, this amazing mystery is actually true when you compare the pressure tolerance and strength of a rod a steel compared to a human bone with the same width. Unfortunately this doesn’t stop humans breaking them!

8. Stomach acid can dissolve metal

Image Source: Freepik

Research has shown that human stomach acid can actually dissolve metal objects. They trialled this using metal razor blades over a period of 24 hours and the weight of the blades were reduced by 63%, so you’d probably have a good chance of getting rid of anything unwanted inside of you!

9. Humans are the only species that cry

Image Source: Reddit

Although other animals do produce tears, this is only for the purpose of being a lubricant to keep their eyes moist. Humans are the only species who produce tears as an emotional response which serves as a social purpose to express feelings to others.

10. Your tongue is the only muscle in the body only connected to one bone

Image Source: ResearchGate

Every muscle in the human body is connected to two bones at each end which allows it to pull and create movement by contracting and relaxing. But there is one exception…your tongue is only connected to the hyoid bone at one end and nothing else on the other side.

11. Having dirty hair helps the environment

Image Source: Reddit

You’re probably wondering how this is even possible…well, science has proven that hair absorbs air pollutants and scalp oils are a big contributor to this process. So, the less you wash your hair, the more scalp oil you will retain and the more pollution will be absorbed!

12. The smallest bone in the human body is in your ear

Image Source: Reddit

The human body contains over 200 bones, but you’ll be surprised to hear that the smallest bone can be found in your ear. The stapes is a tiny stirrup-shaped bone located in the middle ear and it is responsible for transmitting sound waves from the outside air to the cochlea.

13. The human intestine is 4x as long as you are

Image Source: Freepik

You’re probably thinking, surely this can’t fact be possible? But it turns out the small intestine can be anywhere from 18 to 23 feet long depending on the size of the person, but it is coiled up tightly which makes it able to fit inside the human body.

14. You’re taller in the morning than you are at night

Image Source: Daily Yogi

We promise this one isn’t a myth, it is a true fact! We are all a tiny bit taller when we wake up first thing in the morning compared to when we go to bed at night because of the pressure put on our joints throughout the day which compresses the cartilage in our spine.

15. Sneezes can travel as far as 20 feet

Image Source: MyLondon

You’d probably only think a sneeze would reach you if you were in close proximity to the person who produced it in the first place, but research has proven that they can travel much further than we would think…a video study has shown they can travel up to 20 feet!

16. A quarter of your bones are in your feet

Image Source: Reddit

As we mentioned previously, the human body contains over 200 bones but would you believe that a quarter of them can be found in your feet? Each foot contains 26 bones which makes a total of 52 bones! They also contain over 100 muscles, tendons and ligaments.

17. Your hair knows your sleeping pattern

Image Source: Reddit

I bet you weren’t expecting to find this one out…the hair on your head can actually track your sleeping pattern! They can do this because our hair follicles contain ribonucleic acid (RNA) from ‘clock genes’ which express each humans sleep-wake cycle.

18. There are no muscles in your fingers

Image Source: Reddit

Because human fingers are responsible for some many important fine motor movements, you’ll be surprised to find out that they don’t actually contain any muscles. Any motion is purely down to bones and tendons with some help from muscles in the palms of your hands.

19. You lose a third of your bones as you get older

Image Source: Essex TV

Although the average adult has over 200 bones in the human body, you are actually born with nearly 300 bones! As humans grow, some of these bones fuse together through the process of ossification which leaves you with about 206 bones by the time you reach adulthood.

20. The largest muscle in your body is the gluteus maximus

Image Source: Reddit

Although the gluteus maximus is not technically the strongest muscle in your body, it is certainly the largest! This important muscle is the outermost of three gluteal muscles that make up the human buttocks and it is the main extensor muscle of the hip.

21. The hairs in your nose and lungs can ‘taste’ things

Image Source: Reddit

Have you ever wondered how the fine hairs which line your nose and lungs are able to detect and remove impurities? These hairs are called ‘cilia’ and they do this by important job by sensing the bitter taste of bad substances and sweeping them out of our body.

22. Your nails will grow more quickly today than they did yesterday

Image Source: Reddit

You’re probably wondering, how is this possible? Well, it turns out that nails are growing more quickly than ever before and the rates have increased by 25% over the last few decades. Researches have attributed this to the fact that humans now eat more protein-rich diets.

23. The human liver can grow back to its normal size if it gets damaged

Image Source: Freepik

The liver is one of the most resilient organs in the human body and research has shown that it has the ability to completely regrow back to its original size if it was damaged by up to 75%. This is possible because liver cells replicate at a very fast pace.

24. Having a bad posture can affect your memory

Image Source: Reddit

If you’re wondering what your posture has to do with your memory, we have the answer! According to research, having a bad posture makes it easier to recall negative memories whereas having a good posture can actually makes it easier to recall positive memories.

25. The bigger your eyes, the worse your eyesight could be

Image Source: Reddit

It would make logical sense to assume that the bigger your eyes, the better your eyesight would be…but this is not the case. Having big eyes can actually make it more likely to have a condition called myopia which means distant objects look very blurry.

26. The human body glows but you can’t see it

Image Source: Pinterest

Has someone ever said you have a “glow” about you? Well, it turns out the human body actually does emit visible light but you can’t physically see it because it is approximately 1,000 times less intense than the levels to which the human eye is sensitive to.

27. Blinking is the equivalent of having a mini nap

Image Source: Exclusively Eyecare

Humans blink so often that you probably wouldn’t think anything of it. But it turns out that blinking is actually more important than just protecting our eyes and keeping them moist, it actually gives your body time to recharge and improves your attention skills.

28. Your tastebuds get less sensitive as you get older

Image Source: Reddit

Vision and hearing are not the only senses which start to deteriorate as your get older….your tastebuds also start to dampen and become less sensitive because the cells regenerate more slowly with age. Females are more likely to experience this earlier than males.

29. Our stomach has its own brain

Image Source: Pinterest

Have you ever wondered how your stomach is closely linked to your emotions, for example you feel nervous 'butterflies' in your stomach before a momentous occasion. Well, it turns out that our gut is lined with a network of neurons linked to our main nervous system!

30. Humans have more than five senses

Image Source: Today I Found Out

We’ve all heard the term of having a ‘sixth sense’ but this term is scientifically incorrect because humans have more than five senses anyway! Alongside vision, smell, hearing, touch and taste, humans also have something called ‘nociception’ which is the sense of pain and up to 27 others.

31. The whole of our skin is replaced each month

Image source/ RedditIt's a very strange thought to think that next month, we will have an entirely new skin. Our cells are shedding and replacing so often that it only takes around a month for all of the skin cells to have been replaced by entirely new ones. Meaning in an average life we have around 1,000 completely new skins!

32. Each minute we shed around 30,000 dead skin cells

Image source/ RedditThis sounds cool until you realise where those skin cells are going. So if you've ever wondered where all the dust in your house comes from and why you have to hoover so often - here's the answer. The majority of dust is our dead skin. Pretty gross right?

33. Your appendix hasn't lost its function after all!

Image source/ RedditThe thing we tend to know about appendixes is that they lost their use a LONG time ago and now they're in our bodies occasionally getting infected and causing appendicitis before having to be removed. Wrong. They are actually important in maintaining healthy gut bacteria.

34. Females contain way more DNA than males

Image source/ geneticliteracyFemales contain two X chromosomes, whereas males only contain one X, along with a Y chromosome. But the X chromones carry a lot more DNA in them than Y. They are much more complex. This means that women contain a lot more DNA or 'information' than males do.

35. You blink around 20 times a minute

Image source/ RedditThat is a serious amount of blinking, and it equates to blinking once every 3 seconds which sounds like a lot but on average this is correct. That is the equivalent of over 10 million times a year! So essentially, we spend a lot of time with our eyes closed...

36. The tongue is covered in around 8,000 taste buds

Image source/ RedditThink about when you taste something salty or spicy and your tastebuds go into overdrive. This is why, because we have 8,000 taste buds helping us taste our food and allowing us to try our culinary delights. These taste buds are each made up of around 200 cells.

37. Goosebumps are a feature of our ancestral past

Image source/ CBCHave you ever wondered why we get goosebumps? Of course there's the reason of fluffing up our fur to trap in heat when we are cold. But goosebumps can also be produced by amotion. When animals get scared they fluff up their hair to look more threatening. We still do this, without the excessive fur.

38. On average, we produce a cupful of 'snot' a day

Image source/ RedditHere's a fact that you definitely did not need to know, and probably wish you didn't now. Because now you do, you can probably never forget this. A cupful of nasal mucus is produced on average daily. You'll never be able to look at a nose in the same way again.

39. The only muscle that never gets tired is your heart

Image source/ RedditThe only muscle in our entire body to never ever tire is our heart. And thank goodness it does not, our heart is working constantly each second, every day for the entirety of our lives. No other muscle can continue without the proper rest and recovery!

40. The body has 2.5 millions sweat pores

Image source/ RedditThink about this one next time you're doing a workout and wondering why you are sweating so much. We are covered in 2.5 million sweat pores which basically allows sweat to ooze out from pretty much every single part of our body. But it's a very important way to cleanse our bodies!

41. Viral genes are now incorporated into our DNA

Image source/ RedditNot all our DNA is developed from our ancestors, we now have new DNA that has essentially developed from 'retro viruses' which have included viral DNA in our genes and they are now an important part of our genetic makeup, for example our reproduction.

42. There's more bacteria in us than 'human'

Image source/ RedditIt's probably a very unsettling thought for many people to discover that we actually have more bacteria inside our bodies than we do have 'human' elements, such as the atoms that make us up. In fact there's around 10 times more bacteria. But, a lot of this is beneficial!

43. A woman's eggs already exist when their mother is born

Image source/ RedditThe body is extremely complex and clever. To think that a woman's eggs already existed inside of her mother when her mother was born is mind-blowing. So the eggs that a woman is currently carrying were already in existence inside your mother when she was born!

44. Genes are only 3% of our DNA

Image source/ RedditThere is another 975 of DNA which are made up of other things that are equally important in controlling how we are and who we are. It is a very common myth to believe that the majority of us is made up and decided by DNA. There are many other factors involved in our development, some of which are not understood yet.

45. We are guided more by our unconscious brain than we think

Image source/ RedditWe probably think that each decision we make is because of our conscious thoughts. But actually, even when we think about doing something and then do it, often our unconscious brain was already ticking over and acting before you made that decision. They are responsible for a lot of our brain activity.

46. Our vision isn't so accurate

Image source/ RedditWe think that what our eyes see is solid proof. However our brain does something very clever in using information to construct our vision, rather than seeing EXACTLY what is there. Otherwise things would look a lot more unsteady due to light production etc..

47. Half of the population have eyelash mites

Image source/ RedditIf there's one thing we don't want to imagine, it's the fact that there's mites crawling around in our eyelashes. What a repulsive thought. But percentage wise it's very likely that we have them. Around half the population have them. You'd most likely never even know.

48. It's true, you nose and ears never stop growing!

Image source/ RedditWe've all heard it, and we are afraid to say that no, this is not a myth! It is indeed true. Which, really is not what a lot of people want to hear. But these changes are very small. In fact, most people would never be able to notice that their ears and noses have enlarged much at all.

49. We are made of 7 OCTILLION atoms

Image source/ BBCThe human body is relatively large, so if you think about it we are made up of a lot of atoms, and atoms are miniscule. We are made up of 7 octillion to be precise, which for reference because this is a totally incomprehensible number is 7,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 atoms.

50. Our atoms are mainly empty space

Image source/ RedditWhat's even stranger to think, is that the atoms that make up our entire bodies are mainly filled with empty space. Fir example, the nucleus in the atom is the important part, but in size comparison this is like a country in comparison to the world. So actually, we are made up of a lot of emptiness.