Anatomy and Physiology: Five Awesome Facts You Didn't Know

Did you know there isn't a moment that your body isn't doing something cool? It's true! Your body is a well-oiled machine that works to keep you going each day. In fact, your body is so cool that I decided to dedicate a post to some of its most amazing aspects.

kidney-renal-bloodImage from Human Anatomy Atlas.

Your heart is known for pumping blood through your body at an incredible rate, but did you know that your kidneys process over 50 gallons (189.2 liters) of blood every day? That's nearly double the amount the heart receives each day.

brain-memory-skull-cerebrum Image from Human Anatomy Atlas.

Some people refer to the brain as the body's computer, and they're not too far off the mark! In terms of memory storage, your brain holds approximately 256 exabytes. That's... a lot. Like, a real lot. I can't even come up with an comparison for that kind of storage!

extraocular-muscle-eye-movement Image from Human Anatomy Atlas.

Your body is constantly in motion thanks to your muscles, but your extraocular muscles are the busiest skeletal muscles you have! They move over 100,000 times a day. Forget running on a treadmill—that's what I call a workout!

lungs-respiratory-systemImage from Human Anatomy Atlas.

Any tennis players reading this? Take a deep breath, because this might shock you: your lungs may seem small in your chest, but their combined surface area is a whopping 70 m²! That's the size of a singles tennis court!

saliva-salivary-glands-mouth-tongueImage from Human Anatomy Atlas.

Hungry for one more? Good! Besides being the start of the digestion process, your saliva also prevents tooth decay and stops the tissues of your throat from desiccating. You produce 0.4 gallons (1.5 liters) of saliva every day. In your lifetime, you will produce enough to fill almost three 16 ft (5 m) swimming pools.

So the next time someone says you're being lazy, fire back with “My eye muscles are working out more than you do any day at the gym.”

Remember, these fun facts aren't just fun—they're facts. Here are some more:

 

Anatomy

Physiology

Salivary glands

There are three pairs: parotid, sublingual, and submandibular

Saliva is composed of 99% water and 1% electrolytes and enzymes

Lungs

The lungs are conical in shape and receive air from the trachea

Each lung has over 1.5 million aveoli to aid in gas exchange

Kidneys

4–5 in. (10–12.5 cm) bean-shaped organs

1 million filtering units per kidney

Brain

Approximately 3 lbs (1.4 kg)

Despite the persistent belief we only use 10% of our brains, we use 100% in actuality

 


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Related Posts:

- Anatomy and Physiology: The Upper Respiratory System
- Anatomy and Physiology: Homologues of Reproductive Anatomy