15 Human Biology Basics Everyone Should Know-

15 Human Biology Basics Everyone Should Know

1. The human body has 12 systems.

They are: the cardiovascular system, the digestive system, the endocrine system, the immune system, the integumentary system, the lymphatic system, the muscular system, the nervous system, the reproductive system, the respiratory system, the skeletal system, and the urinary system.

All of these systems work together to ensure that our bodies work correctly. The cardiovascular (or circulatory) system transports blood, oxygen, and nutrients throughout the body. The digestive system takes in and processes food. The endocrine system produces hormones that regulate metabolism, growth and development, tissue function, sexual reproduction, sleep, and mood. The immune system fights infection.

The integumentary system protects the body from outside damage. The lymphatic system connects the lymph nodes in our bodies and helps the circulatory and immune systems. The muscular system allows us to move. The nervous system transmits signals through the body and controls voluntary and involuntary actions. The reproductive system allows us to have sex and children. The respiratory system enables us to take in oxygen and expel carbon dioxide as we breathe. The skeletal system gives our bodies a framework and supports the systems. The urinary system expels waste. All of these are only some of the main functions of each system, but each system performs many others.

2. There are four blood groups: A, B, AB, and O.

Your lettered blood type is determined by which antibodies are in your plasma and which antigens are found on your red blood cells. Antibodies are blood proteins, while antigens are substances that activate an immune response and control what enters and exits a cell. Each blood group can be either positive or negative, resulting in eight possible blood types. The +/- part of a person’s blood type is determined by the presence (or absence) of a third antigen called the Rh factor.

Our bodies can handle blood without the presence of an antigen that we usually have, but cannot handle the introduction of a new antigen into the circulatory system. That’s why people with O- blood are known as universal donors; anyone can use O- blood. People with AB+ blood, on the other hand, are universal recipients; they have every antigen in their blood already.

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3. Our DNA is stored in 23 pairs of chromosomes within the nucleus of every cell in our body.

Each cell has a full set of chromosomes which contain all the genetic material needed to determine the makeup of our entire bodies. That’s why cloning of animals can be done with just one cell. All the genetic material that defines us is inside each and every cell of our body, from our hair follicles to toenails.

4. Our immune system fights off infection mostly through the use of antibodies and microphages.

Antibodies actually fight infection by killing the virus or foreign bacteria, while microphages are white blood cells that surround and contain the foreign cells (or other objects) to prevent the spread of disease.

5. There are more non-human cells in our body than human ones.

There are ten times more bacteria cells in our bodies than our own human cells. These bacteria are harmless or even help us perform key bodily functions, such as digestion. Even our DNA itself isn’t all from human evolution. DNA includes the genes from at least eight retroviruses that were absorbed into our own genetic code at some point. The viral genes in our DNA now perform important functions, especially related to reproduction.

6. We have more than five senses (and each has its own sensory organ or specialized receptors).

While we typically think of the traditional five senses of touch, taste, hearing, vision, and smell, our bodies can actually sense many other things. Some of the most important senses include:

1. Vision
2. Hearing
3. Smell
4. Taste
5. Touch
6. Balance
7. Temperature
8. Proprioception (spatial body awareness, aka why you can touch your nose with your eyes shut)
9. Pain

Each is associated with its own organ (taste with the tongue, smell with the nose) or sensory receptor (the skin contains separate touch, temperature, and pain receptors).

 

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7. Our appendix does actually still have a purpose.

We have long thought that the appendix was simply the result of evolution — a body part that once had a purpose, but that no longer does anything other than occasionally get infected. Research has revealed, though, that the appendix actually serves as an important place for the bacteria in the digestive system to rest and reproduce. You can definitely live without it (so don’t worry if yours has been removed!), but when it’s still a part of your system, the appendix can be a real help.

8. Nearsightedness and farsightedness are caused by defects in the shape of our eyeballs.

Nearsightedness, or myopia, is caused by a greater curve in the cornea of the eye or by an elongation of the eyeball. Farsightedness, or hyperopia, is caused by a corneal curve that is too small or by a having a short eyeball. Some evidence indicates that nearsightedness is genetic.

9. Vaccines safely help the body to recognize and fight off infections later in life.

By injecting the body with dead virus cells, we activate an immune system response to the virus without actually catching the disease. This allows our bodies to create antibodies to fight off the infection if we are ever exposed to it. That’s why sometimes people get a fever as a side effect of a vaccine. They’re not catching the disease, however: the body is simply practicing how it would kill that virus if it ever came into the body (and fever is an important part of that).

10. We still aren’t 100% sure why people yawn.

Many scientists today think that yawning is a way to keep our brains alert in times of stress, but exactly why that happens or what the yawn does to help our body isn’t 100% clear. That could be why they are contagious; we are alerted to a potential stressor by another person. Others believe that yawns are a reaction to being tired, as a way to reengage. Yawning may help us get more oxygen to help our brains perform better, or it may cool down the brain, which gets hotter in times of stress. We still aren’t exactly sure what role yawning serves in human biology.

11. The red color of our blood is caused by the shape of the structure created when iron and oxygen bond with hemoglobin.

Many people assume that blood is red simply because of all the iron in it, much like the reason rust is red. That’s actually not entirely accurate. The red color is created because the iron is bound in a ring of atoms in hemoglobin called porphyrin. This structure has a shape that makes the blood appear red. When oxygen is bound to the porphyrin ring, it changes the shape, making our red blood cells appear as an even more vivid shade of red.

12. The brain works harder while we are asleep than during the day when we are awake.

Many people assume that sleep helps the brain rest, but our brains are actually busier during slumber. When we sleep and dream, our brains carry out important functions that they cannot perform while focusing on movement and conscious thought. During sleep, our brains process things we learned and emotions we felt during waking hours and saves them in our memory. That’s why sleep is so important to learning.

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13. The liver has over 500 functions.

Our liver doesn’t just filter toxins from the blood. It does much more to keep our bodies healthy. Some of its other important functions include creating bile that breaks down fat and carries away waste, producing cholesterol, regulating blood clotting, processing hemoglobin, and so much more. As you can see, the liver is key to our health, so treat it well.

14. Sunburn doesn’t just increase your risk of skin cancer; it also damages blood vessels.

A moderate sunburn can do long-term damage to the blood vessels in your skin, making it more difficult for the affected skin to heal and stay healthy. It can actually take four to fifteen months for these capillaries and small arteries and veins to return to a normal condition.

15. All body parts can repair themselves (except teeth).

Innate human biology allows us to repair ourselves pretty easily for the most part. While any serious damage to the body can take a long time to heal, all of our body parts have the ability to start healing and regenerating on their own — except teeth. Since the enamel of teeth is not a living tissue, it cannot regenerate, even if the injury goes deep enough to damage the living part of the tooth. That’s why a chipped tooth always takes a visit to the dentist to be entirely fixed.

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Amazing Facts Of Biology-

Have you ever pondered over questions like our existence and our bodies and its functions? Well, Biology surely loves to give you all those answers making it quite an interesting thing to study. Many of these facts make us wonder over various things and take us closer to better understanding of the subject.

1. 1. Swimming pool of Saliva

As gross as it sounds, do you know that saliva a human produces in a lifetime is enough to fill up two swimming pools. Disgusting but sounds interesting!!

2. The Science behind Goosebumps

No, I am not talking about the scary stories but goosebumps arise because of our evolutionary predecessors. When the muscles around the base of each hair get tensed, the human skin looks strange specially when we get scared or experience emotive memory.

3. We get taller in Morning 

This might not seem true but science proved that at the time you wake up, the excess fluids which are released within you spinal discs make you almost half inch taller. But as the day progress, we have to deal with the stress of standing and the disc compresses and fluids seep in making you lose that height of yours.

4. Your body is hot!

Well Biology compliments us by saying that our body produces enough heat to boil almost half a gallon of water. This is because of laws of thermodynamics where our body produces heat through metabolizing food, exercising, sweat, inhale and exhale.

5. Your brain is just 18 years old

You will be amazed to know that a human brain stops growing after the age of 18 years. Once you cross 18 years, 1000 brain cells are lost every day. Your brain never stop working even when you are sleeping, it works towards dreams.

6. You have more bones when you were born with

It’s fascinating to know that as a baby, we have 300 bones as compared to an adult who has only 206 bones. Most of our bones fuse to become one bigger bone. Another interesting thing is that bones are harder than steel. 

7. Unique fingerprints of Koalas and Primates

So in a scenario where Koalas and Primates would commit a crime, there fingerprints can trace us to the criminals. It is known that humans, koalas, apes have unique fingerprints due to their tiny prints on their fingers. 

8. Heart beats so fast that it can squirt blood till 30 feet

Do you feel the heartbeat so fast that it seems that it would come out of your body? It is known that at the time of pumping blood through body in an efficient manner, the pressure is so strong that it can squirt blood till 30 feet. Wooh!! That is too much!

9. Skin is an Organ

Yes, you read it right! Did you know that the average human has enough skin to cover 17-20 square feet and 20% of our weight is because of the skin? It replaces 45000+ cells in few seconds growing new skin. This is a reason why skin like any other organ is also regarded as an organ. 

10. Brain can light up a Bulb

A human brain can generate electricity and energy when we are awake and therefore can light up a bulb. It operates on the same amount of power of 10 watt light bulb. Well next time you are over thinking with a bulb image of cartoon, you know it’s kind of true!!

11. Starfishes are Brainless

Did you know that starfish unlike humans don’t possess brains and are lucky in terms of not dealing with all the problems humans do because of mere presence of it? Seems like a blessing in disguise!

12. Dreams of Pregnant Women 

All the husbands wish to know what is going in the minds of their pregnant wives. If not that they can settle with what they dream! A pregnant woman dreams most about three things, frogs, worms and potted plants. Other than this, due to hormones, women also dream about water or even have sexual and violent dreams. 

13. Human eye is a 576 megapixels

Understanding the wonders our body possess, biology amazes us!
Well if humans would be digicam, it would be 576 megapixels. Our eyes can identify 10 million colors and nose can remember 50000 scents.

14. You can taste onion by rubbing it on feet 

No we are not lying! If you rub onion on your feet, you will be able to taste it in 30-60 minutes. It is because it travels through blood streams. You can go and try and then spend 60 days of solitude.

15. Brain can be your Encyclopedia ++

A human brain cell has the ability to hold 5 times more information than the Encyclopedia. Scientists believe that the storage capacity of brain is between 3 to 1000 terabytes making memory power of our brains pretty darn impressive. Only if we could use it as well!

16. Snails sleep for years without food

Well living a dream of every lazy person, snails finally make up to the list of laziest of all. They can sleep for 3 to 4 years and that too without even needing any food. And all we humans do is eat, sleep and repeat.

17. Humans give Spiders creepy fee  No I have not written the other way around. Every time you get the creeps at even looking at a spider, you won’t believe that every time spider comes in contact with humans, it runs to its shelter and cleans itself off the germs.

              30 Other Amazing Facts »

Biology is one of the most interesting subjects that students prefer studying with enthusiasm. But, did you know about some of the amazing facts that were not there in your class book? Over here, we’re going to discuss 30 such facts that you probably have not heard of. Read on and enlighten yourself with these facts.

Fact # 1

Did you ever wonder why the colour of our blood is red? Here’s the answer - the iron present in our blood forms a ring of atoms called porphyrin, the shape of this structure produces the red colour. The shape of the porphyrin is affected by the presence of oxygen in your body.

Fact # 2

An adult human body is made up of ± 100 trillion cells. Surprised! Then hold your guts for another one. These cells can be differentiated into 200 different types with diverse forms.

Fact # 3

Human bone is an excellent example of a perfect architecture. The femur that supports the weight of our body during walking is more powerful when compared to a solid concrete of the same weight.

Fact # 4

Our bone marrow produces 260 billion red blood cells (RBCs) and 135 billion white blood cells (WBCs) per day.

Fact # 5

Have you ever wondered that when you go to a doctor, why he checks your tongue with a torch at the first instance? The reason is, our tongue acts as a mirror of our health. Certain diseases have the tendency to change the colour of your tongue.

Fact # 6

How many alveoli make up the human lung? The answer is 300 million. And the estimated alveolar surface area is about ± 100 times wider than the surface of the human body.

Fact # 7

Thirst not only occurs when the body loses a lot of fluids but also occurs due to increased levels of salt in the blood. The reason being salt tends to bind water.ffdhhshdFact # 8

Fact # 8

What’s the largest organ of the human body? Quite surprising, but the answer is your skin.

Fact # 9

Did you know about the world’s smallest snake? If no, then here’s the answer - the Barbados Thread snake.

Fact # 10

The relation between your thumb and your nose is - the length of your thumb is equal to the length of your nose.

Fact # 11

Want to know the meaning of different eye gazes? Different studies and researches have proved that when the human eyes find something attractive, the pupils raise, and if it sees something less-attractive the pupils dilate.

Fact # 12

Every nucleus in the human body has DNA of 6 feet long.

Fact # 13

Magnetoreception is a type of magnetic compass present in some migratory birds that help them navigate using the Earth’s magnetic field.

Fact # 14

The jaw is one of the strongest parts of the human body when it comes to exerting force.

Fact # 15

Curious to know how dolphins sleep? Then, here you go, dolphins sleep half awake. They keep one eye open while they consciously breathe and float on the water surface.

Fact # 16

The ostrich egg is the biggest in the world. It equals to the volume of as much as 30 chicken eggs.

Fact # 17

The life of an eyelash is no more than 5 months.

Fact # 18

Did you know, the power generated by our brain is enough to illuminate a bulb? Yes, it is at the time when we’re awake.

Fact # 19

What is the largest flower in the world? Rafflesia Arnoldii. It can grow as big as an umbrella.

Fact # 20

Now, that you know about the world’s largest flower, you must also know about the world’s smallest flowering plant, Wolffia. One full bouquet of its flowers fits on the head of a push pin.

Fact # 21

Armadillos spend about 80% of their life asleep! Did you know?

Fact # 22

How do ants eat? Want to know? Ants cannot chew their food, they move their jaws sideways like scissors to extract the juices from the food.

Fact # 23

Babies born with farsightedness. They start to focus properly only between 3 to 6 months of age.

Fact # 24

Human life expectancy would increase by 9.78 years if all the major cardiovascular diseases were eliminated.

Fact # 25

In seahorses, the male gives birth to a young one.

Fact # 26

Do you know that messages from the human brain, travel all along the nerves at up to 200 miles an hour?

Fact # 27

Do you know human’s nose and ears they do not stop growing?

Fact # 28

Did you know that human’s little finger has over 50% of the hand’s strength?

Fact # 29

It is a fact that in a human mouth there are more bacteria than there are in the world.

Fact # 30

Taste buds cannot be seen with naked eyes, the little bumps that are there on a human tongue are papillae; the rest on top are taste buds.