The human body is a huge puzzle. Scientists are still trying to find ways to discover new things about our own bodies. It is a mysterious puzzle waiting to be discovered entirely and yet, no one has been able to do so. There are still parts of our body that we do not know or understand such as these top 5 amazing human body facts.
1. Organ Transplant Cell Memory
With the technological and medical advancement that we have today, we can now save even more lives with the help of organ transplants. Organ transplant is the act of surgically removing an organ from one person and place it on another person to help save the receiver’s life. Most of the time, the organ being replaced is already malfunctioning or deteriorating hence the transplant needs to occur to save the life of the patient. The kidney and the liver are the most popular organs to undergo organ transplant but there are other organs in the body that is also under the criteria for transplant.
Recent studies have shown that after an organ transplant, there are several patients who suddenly feel a difference in food preference especially those who have just had a liver transplant or have different sexual orientation once the transplant is done. Scientists all over the world are baffled as to how this could have happened and one could pinpoint organ transplant cell memory to be the culprit. Organ transplant cell memory pertains to the cellular memory of the original owner of the organ and is passed on to the patient who had received the organ. Most of the time, the organ itself has adapted to the norms of the owner and when the organ is passed on to another body, the organ continues to do what it usually does.
One special case of this was when the recipient of the heart from a murder victim led the police to the killer. The organ itself gave the recipient clues to who had murdered the poor victim. It is amazing how the body works when merged with an organ from another person.
2. Extra Rib
The human body is equipped with different protective gear that helps defend the body from physical trauma. One of the best protective gears is the skeletal system. The bones in our body not only serve to help us move but also help us protect the more vulnerable organs inside the body. The skull protects the brain while the ribs protect the different organs underneath it. Humans have 24 symmetrical ribs or 12 pairs of ribs that line and protect the upper body. Ribs are specifically tough to break and serve to prevent physical trauma from reaching the more vulnerable organs. But 1 in 500 people, a rare human feat occurs through the development of an extra rib. This extra rib can be found at the neck or at the shoulder level of the body. This extra rib might be a potential problem later on. It has been known that the rib can cut off the blood supply towards the arm if the arm displays a specific angle. Most of the time, the pulse disappears which can pose a health problem to the person. Other complications include numbness, tingling sensation, coldness in the hands. One can even feel and see the protruding rib.
But what makes the extra rib special is that this vestigial rib has been believed to suppress cancer within the body as well as the risks involved in its growth. Although the process is still quite unclear, scientists are on the move to help find an explanation for why this happens.
3. Born with Teeth
Around 1 in every 2,000 babies born every day are found to have born with protruding teeth. This is called neonatal teeth. Human babies are often born toothless as they would not need to have teeth as early in life. Most of the time, babies start growing teeth at the age of six months. Babies do not need teeth at this stage in their life to ease the passage of milk from drinking the mother’s breasts. Recent studies have shown that in every 2,000 babies, one is found to have neonatal teeth. This can pose a problem for the mother if she starts nursing her baby. The baby can bite and can inflict pain on her breasts.
Babies born with neonatal teeth are most of the time healthy and are normal. There is no evidence citing that the baby is developing any harmful genetic mutation nor is this the stage of evolution. In fact, only one or two small protruding teeth have been found in babies with neonatal teeth.
4. Yawning
Yawning is the act of gulping fresh air and the stretching of the eardrums. Pandiculation is the act of yawning and stretching at the same time. Yawning’s main purpose is to increase the oxygen flowing towards the brain. It also simultaneously cools down the temperature of the brain. Yawning is meant to cool down the brain especially if it is under extreme pressure, sleepiness, or in difficult situations. Most people find yawning very addictive and contagious. Yawning is commonly associated with sleepiness, stress, and tiredness. Yawning is a form of positive feedback. Yawning has also been recently discovered to increase the productivity of a person instead of previously thought to be a hindrance in productivity.
One study shows that yawning is in fact contagious and a form of positive feedback but the study also shows that people are more prone to yawn when they see others yawn.
The mere fact of reading this article alone makes the reader yawn. But what came surprisingly was that people find yawning less contagious during the summer than in the winter. This might be due to lesser stress and indicative of the weather as it plays a huge role in a person’s mood of the day.
5. Tears and Sweat
Tears have been known to be a good way to relieve stress. Tears release hormones that make us feel good about ourselves. In 2011, a study showed that women who cry and expose tears critically reduce a man’s sexual arousal. Tears have chemosignal in them that trigger men to have decreased testosterone levels and have reduced activity in the substrates of the brain which have been linked to sexual arousal.
Sweat is also indicative of extreme emotions. Recent studies have also shown that people can literally smell fear through the sweat they release.
With the help of science, we will soon understand the entire human body. But, as of now, we should simply take good care of it and be healthy.