Unveiling the Marvels Within: A Journey through the Intricacies of the Human Body

Our body is very unique, and as unique as every part of our body is, there is very little that so many people know about it, so in this post, I will be looking at certain parts of our body, and will be discussing some incredible facts about them that you may not know in the past.

Let's begin with the heart, the tireless organ responsible for pumping blood throughout our lives. While we understand its fundamental role, did you know that if the heart is removed from the body, it can continue beating autonomously for approximately 3 minutes? This remarkable feat is attributed to the heart's ability to self-excite (Sinoatrial node), operating independently of the brain. Even in cases of head injuries affecting the brain, the heart can persist in beating, sustaining life even when direct signals from the brain are disrupted. Over a lifetime, the human heart pulsates an astonishing 2.5 to 3 billion times, propelling around 2000 gallons of blood daily or an astounding 55 million gallons throughout one's existence.

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That said, the heart pumps blood to the every part of the body including our bones, and do you know that when we are born, we have around 300 individual bones but at adulthood, we have around 206 bones. It isn't like the bones got missing, rather they fuse to other bones to become bigger bones. Using the word "around" when talking about the numbers of bones is because different individuals have different amount of bones with some people having bones that others do not have. A very good example is the Wormian bone found in the suture of the skull and can differ from persons to persons.

Just as the heart pumps blood to the bones, it does so to the kidneys as well and the kidneys filter around 190 liters of blood every 24 hours, and produces about 1.5 liters of urine. That said, the Liver can regrow up to 90% of itself when removed but it isn't going to be the same shape as the regeneration has to do with restoring mass and this doesn't affect its function.

Wikimedia.commons

Zooming in on the skull, it comprises 22 cranial bones, with eight safeguarding the brain as neurocranial bones and 14 forming the facial skeletal structure. Meanwhile, in the realm of the nervous system, the spinal cord doesn't traverse the entire vertebral column, concluding its course at T12 to L1, where it converges into the Cauda Equina, continuing into the sacrum.

Talking about skin, the Epidermis (the top layer of the skin) replaces itself every 27 days, and during the period of replacing itself, the cells will wrinkle and contract to one another after which they burst. You do not know this because the fatty inside of the cell will waterproof the skin but for cases were there are faster turnovers, there will be flaking and breaking of the skin which you see.

commons.wikimedia

While we discuss the skin, we should not forget that we produce saliva. The average adult produces about 1 liter of saliva everyday and this means that we produce about 365 liters of saliva yearly with about 28 thousand liters of saliva over the course of a person's lifetime. Coming to our eyes, do you know that we blink around 15 times per minute, 900 blinks per hour, and 21,600 per day, helping to lubricate the eye and keep it free from dust.

Our bodies harbor an awe-inspiring tapestry of complexities and wonders, each revelation adding to the appreciation of the remarkable vessel that sustains us throughout our lives.

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