12 interesting facts about the Stomach

1. The word stomach is derived from the Latin stomachus which is derived from the Greek word stomachos, ultimately from stoma (στόμα), "mouth".
2. People can, and have lived without a stomach if it has been removed because of disease!
3. Inside the stomach there is hydrochloric acid which kills bacteria and provides acidic conditions to the enzyme protease.
4. Historically, it was widely believed that the highly acidic environment of the stomach would keep the stomach immune from infection. However, a large number of studies have indicated that most cases of peptic ulcers, gastritis, and stomach cancer are caused by Helicobacter pylori infection.
5. The stomach is a muscular organ of the digestive tract. It is located between the esophagus and the small intestine.
6. When you blush, the lining of your stomach also turns red.
7. The stomach produces protease enzymes and hydrochloric acid which kills bacteria and gives the right pH(1.2) for the protease enzyme to work.
8. The frog throws up its stomach first, so the stomach is dangling out of its mouth.
9. An adults stomach can hold approximately 1.5 liters of material.
10. When we swallow our food, we also swallow air. This air causes most of the gas in your stomach and intestinal tract. The best way to get rid of this air is to burp!
11. Your stomach produces a new layer of mucus every two weeks so it doesn’t digest itself.
12. A starfish can turn its stomach inside out. A moth has no stomach.

Why does hair gray with age?

 White is the true color of our hair. The pigment cells located at the base of each hair follicle are the ones that provide the dominant natural color of our hair in youth.

As the individual grows closer to maturity, more and more of these pigment cells die and the color begins to fade. The result is gray hair.

It can take between 10 and 20 years, depending on how much hair you have, for a person to become a ''white head''. It is interesting to know that, before dying, pigment cells quickly produce large amounts of ''color'' so that the hair temporarily darkens before turning white (or gray) forever.

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What is vitamin A and why do we need it in our diet?

 Vitamin A Facts

By containing a large amount of antioxidants vitamin A is of great help to the body, specifically to protect the health of our eyes. Vitamin A prevents the damage of free radicals that can be the cause of night blindness, cataracts and macular degeneration. The foods that contain this vitamin are dairy and meats. Vitamin A is also found in vegetables in the form of beta carotenes, lutein and zeaxanthin; you have to choose the yellow or orange fruits and vegetables as the carrot to consume the beta carotenes. Lutein and zeaxanthin are provided by green leafy vegetables such as spinach.

Plastic surgery

   Plastic surgery is the branch of surgical medicine concerned with building up external tissues damaged as a result of burns or wounds, with restoring lost parts, or with repairing defects. It is done to improve both the appearance and functioning of the body.

Fingernails and toenails

  We carry with us 20 nails all the time. They are not at all like the nails we buy. Instead they are scalelike—oval and thin. These nails, of course, are our fingernails and toenails.

  Our nails are very helpful—much more helpful than most of us realize. Our fingernails help us pick up things and do fine work. They also protect the ends of our fingers. The ends of our toes are protected by our toenails.

  Nails grow from a special layer of skin. If they are healthy, they keep growing so that, even with the wear and tear on them, they are always long enough to protect our finger tips and the ends of our toes. Often, in fact, we do not wear our nails off as fast as they grow, and they have to be filed to keep them from being too long.

Some facts about the ears

• Our ears make it possible for us to hear. Having two ears lets us know from what direction a sound is coming. 
• Our ears help us keep our balance.
• A person's ear has three parts: the outer ear, the middle ear, and the inner ear. 
• The outer ear is the part we see. It catches sound waves and sends them through a tube to the eardrum. The eardrum is a thin sheet of skin stretched tight. 
• Just inside the eardrum, in the middle ear, are three tiny bones—the hammer, the anvil, and the stirrup. These little bones carry the sounds on to the inner ear. There nerves pick up the sound messages and carry them to the brain. The nerve endings are in a part of the ear shaped like a snail shell. Near by are three horseshoe-shaped tubes filled with fluid. These tubes are called the semicircular canals. Our ears help us keep our balance by means of them.
• The Eustachian tube leads from the middle ear to the throat. Air can reach the middle ear through it.
• Many other animals have ears, but some of their ears are very different from ours. 
• Birds have no outer ears. The openings into a bird's ears are hidden by feathers. 
• The ears of frogs and toads show as big circles of skin just back of their eyes.
• Crickets are among the few insects with ears. Their ears are on their front legs.
• Some animals can hear better than we do. Dogs, for instance, can hear sounds too high for us to hear.

Red Blood cells

Did you know that

   There are more red blood cells in the body than any other kind of cell? Some 25 trillion of the plump, round dimpled cells course through the bloodstream. The sole task of these tiny cells is to bring oxygen to all of the body's tissue and remove carbon dioxide.
   Each of the cells travels approximately 173,000 times between the lungs and other tissues before it dies. The red blood cell has a life span of about 120 days. At that time, the aging cell is caught by a macrophage and digested.

Some facts about the kidneys

• The kidneys are organs which function to rid the body of some of its waste materials.
• The human body has 2 kidneys. They are shaped like large beans.
• Despite their relatively small size, the kidneys receive approximately twenty percent of the cardiac output.
• The right kidney is slightly lower and smaller than the left one.
• The kidneys serve the body as a natural filter of the blood.
• The kidneys are embedded in fatty tissues which protect the organs.
• The kidneys act as a filter system which collects and rids the body of many of its waste materials. The formation of urine depends upon the action of the kidneys.
• Calcitriol, renin, and erythropoietin hormones are produced in the kidneys.
• Each adult kidney weighs between 125 and 170 grams in males and between 115 and 155 grams in females.
• Common clinical conditions involving the kidney include the nephritic and nephrotic syndromes, nephrolithiasis, chronic kidney disease, renal cysts, urinary tract infection, acute kidney injury, and urinary tract obstruction.

Interesting facts about the feet

• The foot is the terminal portion of a limb which bears weight and allows locomotion.
• The foot can be subdivided into the hindfoot, the midfoot, and the forefoot.
• The Roman shoemakers were the first to create distinct left and right shoes.
• The largest feet in the world belong to Matthew McGrory (United States) whose feet are a whopping size 28½ (US size).
• The average people walks about 10,000 steps a day.
• By 12, a child’s foot is about 90% of its adult length.
• Twenty-five percent of bones in the human body are located in the feet (52 bones).
• For 2 out of every 10 people the second toe is the longest.
• Early symptoms for arthritis, diabetes and circulatory problems can often show themselves initially in the feet.
• Foot problems occur in females 4 times more than in males.
• The feet produces as much as half a pint of perspiration every day.
• It’s inusual that 2 feet are exactly the same; one of them is often larger than the other.

Dehydration facts

• Dehydration is defined as an excessive loss of body fluid.
• An average person loses about ninety ounces (2.66 liters) of water daily.
• Only water truly hydrates the body and alleviates the unwellness of hypohydration (dehydration).
• There are 3 main types of dehydration: hypotonic or hyponatremic, hypertonic or hypernatremic, and isotonic or isonatremic.
• People with proper weight should drink two quarts of water each day. Over-weight people need one additional glass of water for every twenty-five pounds (11 kg) of excess weight.
• In humans, the most commonly seen type of dehydration by far is isotonic (loss of water and electrolytes).
• Water suppresses the appetite naturally and helps the body metabolize stored fat.
• Dehydration symptoms generally become noticeable after two percent of one's normal water volume has been lost.
• A deficiency of water can alter the concentration of electrolytes such as potassium, sodium and chloride which has a negative effect on the function of the brain.
• Symptoms of mild dehydration include thirst, unexplained tiredness, decreased urine volume, abnormally dark urine, lack of tears when crying, irritability, dry mouth, headache, dizziness when standing, and in some cases can cause insomnia.
• In moderate to severe dehydration, there may be no urine output at all. Other symptoms in these states include lethargy or extreme sleepiness, seizures, sunken fontanel in infants, fainting, and sunken eyes.
• Losses of body fluid greater than 15 percent are usually fatal.
• In the case of serious lack of fresh water, drinking seawater or urine does not help.

Deodorant facts

• Ancient egyptians were the first to applying scents to underarms.
• The first commercial deodorant, Mum, was introduced and patented in the late 19th century.
• Antiperspirants are classified as drugs by the Food and Drug Administration.
• Odours from strong foods (garlic, curry, onions, etc.) are emitted through your sweat.
• Aluminum chloride, the ingredient that blocks glandular openings and prevents sweating, is notorious for turning T-shirts yellow.
• Offensive body odor or BO is actually illegal in libraries in San Luis Obispo County, California.
• Human perspiration is largely odorless until it is fermented by bacteria.
• Deodorants work by making the skin an unfriendly environment for the bacteria.
• Of the worlds population around 2.5% have problems with excessive sweating.
• When Nirvana's Kurt Cobain wrote the song "Smells Like Teen Spirit," he didn't know Teen Spirit was a popular deodorant brand.
• As children approach puberty, hormones cause an increase in sweating which then results in body odour.
• Today, sticks are the most popular type of antiperspirant.
• Producing too much sweat is known as hyperhidrosis.

Death facts

• Death is the cessation of the biological functions that sustain a living being.
• In the Nineteenth century, Egypt had such an excess of mummies that they started using them as fuel for trains engines.
• Many cultures have viewed biological death as a portal into an afterlife.
• Approximately 100 billion people have died since humans began.
• Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States for the two sexes, followed by cancer.
• 80% of people who die in the U.S. die inside of a hospital.
• In 1900, only a small fraction of Americans died in hospitals, and infectious diseases like influenza were among the leading killers.
• Causes of death in humans as a result of intentional activity include suicide, homicide and war.
• Burials in the United States put 827,060 gallons of embalming fluid, into our soil each year.
• 150,000 people die around the world each day.
• There are more than two hundred euphemisms for death.
• Death was once defined as the cessation of heartbeat and of breathing, but the development of CPR and prompt defibrillation have rendered that definition inadequate because breathing and heartbeat can sometimes be restarted.
• In the United States, a person is dead by law if a Statement of Death or Death certificate is approved by a licensed medical practitioner.

Facts about digestive system

• Digestion is a form of catabolism: a break-down of larger food molecules to smaller ones.
• In a healthy human adult, digestion can take between one and three days.
• Organs that make up the digestive tract: mouth, esophagus, stomach, small Intestine, large intestine, rectum and Anus.
• Every day 11.5 liters of digested food, liquids and digestive juices flow through the digestive system.
• The whole digestive system is around 30 feet long.
• Hundreds of different kinds of enzymes are needed to properly digest food.
• Over 90% of digestion and absorption takes place in the small intestine.
• A rumbling stomach is a sign that the digestive system is working well.

Human body facts

• Beards are the fastest growing hairs on the human body.
• By the time the human reaches adulthood, the body consists of close to 50 trillion cells, the basic unit of life.
• Both lungs contain over 300,000 million capillaries.
• The brain requires 20% of the oxygen and calories the body needs.
• Human bone is as strong as granite in supporting weight.
• The human body has 6 pounds of skin which is, on average, 1/20 of an inch thick.
• 80 percent of the brain is water
• The tongue is the strongest muscle in the body.
• Each finger and toenail takes 6 months to grow from base to tip.
• The ovum (female egg) is one of the largest cells in the human body, typically visible to the naked eye without the aid of a microscope or other magnification device.
• Fingernails grow faster than toenails.

Facts about dental cavities (caries)

• Dental caries, also known as tooth decay and dental cavities, are a disease of the teeth that results in the destruction of tooth enamel.
• Two groups of bacteria are responsible for initiating cavities: Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus.
• Dental problems related to dental cavities result in more school absences than any other childhood disease.
• Cariology is the study of dental caries.
• Some dental cavities, can only be detected by using X-rays or other sophisticated dental equipment.
• If left untreated, dental cavities can lead to pain, tooth loss, infection, and, in severe cases, death.
• It’s the acid produced by bacteria in your mouth that causes dental caries.
• Caries are more likely between teeth.

Body odor facts

• Perspiration is generally odorless, though it has often been blamed for body odor.
• Body odor is the smell of bacteria growing on the body.
• The condition can be known medically as bromhidrosis, apocrine bromhidrosis, bromidrosis, osmidrosis, ozochrotia, fetid sweat, body smell or malodorous sweating.
• Body odor can smell pleasant and specific to the individual and can be used to identify people, though this is more often done by dogs and other animals than by humans.
• Some of the common reasons for having body odor are improper hygiene.
• Most deodorants only mask the smell, and antiperspirants block the sweat glands, thereby interfering with the body's cooling mechanism.
• Although body odor is commonly associated with hygiene practices, its presentation can be affected by changes in diet.
• To help prevent body odor, a person should eat lots of fruits and vegetables, and whole grains.
• Females detect body odors better than males.
• One of the biggest causes of body odor is genetics.
• A rare genetic disorder called trimethylaminuria, causes individuals to produce a fish-like odor, not only on their breath, but also in their sweat and urine.

body image facts

• Body image can be described as how individuals see themselves when looking in a mirror, or when picturing themselves in their mind, and their ideas about their body, such as height, shape, and weight and age.
• 1 out of every 4 college aged women has an eating disorder.
• Current research indicates many men wish to become more muscular than they currently perceive themselves to be, often desiring up to 26 pounds of additional muscle mass.
• It is estimated that 40-50 percent of American women are trying to lose weight at any point in time.
• Body image dissatisfaction and eating disorders are more prevalent among women than men. 
• Negative perceptions by a person regarding their body, such as a perception that they are fat, can in some cases lead to mental disorders such as depression or eating disorders such as bulimia nervosa.
• 59% of females reported dissatisfaction with their body shape, and 66% expressed the desire to lose weight. 
• Almost half of all women smokers smoke because they see it as the best way to control their weight. Of these women, 25 percent will die of a disease caused by smoking.
• A study found that 53 percent of 13 year-old American girls are unhappy with their bodies. This number grows to 78 percent  by the time girls reach 17.
• Of 140 adolescent smokers surveyed, 15 percent adhered to the belief that cigarettes help control weight (9 percent males, 22 percent females).
• Body image dissatisfaction and dieting behavior isn't restricted to adolescents or adults. In a study of almost 500 schoolgirls, 81 percent of the 10-year-olds reported that they had dieted at least once. 
• Some studies conclude that women are more worried about their body image than men and that their concern can impact on their health.
• The desire to lose weight is highly correlated with poor body image.

Interesting facts about birth control pills

• "The Pill", is a birth control method that includes a combination of an estrogen and a progestin.
• Some birth control pills can help control acne.
• 18 percent of women said they’d skipped pills or stopped using them temporarily to save money.
• They were first approved for contraceptive use in the United States in 1960, and are a very popular form of birth control.
• The most serious complication associated with birth control pills are blood clots.
• They are currently used by more than 100 million women worldwide and by almost 12 million women in the United States.
• There are over 40 different brands of birth control pills in America.
• Many clinicians consider the public perception of weight gain on the birth control pill to be inaccurate.
• In one survey, 60 percent of men said that if there were a male birth control pill, they’d take it. 
• The use of oral contraceptives for 5 years or more decreases the risk of ovarian cancer in later life by 50 percent.

Facts about Belly button piercing (navel piercing)

• Navel piercing (also referred to as belly button piercing) is a type of body piercing.
• Navel piercings take time to heal – approx four months to one year
• Unlike most body piercings, this is one of the few that do not normally reject, although the rejection rate is higher than other piercings, such as ear piercings.
• Only jewellery made of a non-corrosive metal, such as: surgical stainless steel is safe when you first have your piercing done.
• This kind of piercing is very popular with young females.
• For people who are extremely sensitive to metal, Teflon or nylon piercings may be used.
• Most kinds of ring or bar jewelry can be worn in a belly button piercing. Navels are most often pierced with a barbell, which is recommended to be worn until the piercing has fully healed.
• The most common piercing problem is infection. Infection is quite common and is easily cured with the proper care and attention.
• One of the most important tips for cleaning belly button piercing is to keep the area clean, use cotton swabs to apply anti bacterial solutions.

Interesting facts about Beauty products

• The global cosmetic, toiletries and fragrance industry is worth $9.7 billion.
• $71 The amount the average Italian woman spends on beauty treatments
• $39 The amount per month the average American woman spends on beauty treatments
• World Duty Free sells $4.7 million worth of fragrance a week.
• 80 is the percent of women in South Africa that wear fragrance every day.
• In trained hands, Botox® does not paralyze muscles. Rather, it is used to restore a more youthful appearance to the face.
• 92 is the percent of British women that rarely or never visit a dermatologist
• According to one survey, one in three women over 30 in the UK uses an anti-ageing product.
• Vitamin A can help diminish the depth of wrinkles.
• Alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs or 'fruit acids') improve the skin's appearance by speeding up the shedding of old, dead cells from the skin surface.
• Retinoids are chemicals that make the skin produce new cells more quickly, making it thicker and more compact.
• There is clinical evidence that shows Botox® is an effective treatment for migraines.