The human body is an evolutionary marvel, with many intricate organs and organ systems working together. From the first inception of life to even after death, the body continues to change and function in intriguing ways. Following are a few facts highlighting some of the most amazing perks and features of the human body.
- The rhythm of the heart is controlled by electrical impulses
- The average human heart weighs about 0.3kgs, while the heart of an adult African elephant weighs 30 kgs. However, the adult blue whale’s heart is by far the heaviest – weighing in at over 180 kgs.
- Each day, the human heart pumps nearly 7,200 litres of blood.
- In a year, the heart pumps nearly 2,628,000 litres of blood, which is equivalent to an Olympic-sized swimming pool.
- One of the largest organs in the human body is the skin, which accounts for 15% of the body’s total weight.
- On an average adult, the skin (including hair) would weight just over 9 kilograms
- The skin from an average adult would cover an area of 2sq meters.
- The skin renews itself every 28 days.
- A single square inch of skin has nearly 19 million skin cells.
- When the body is exposed to ionizing radiation, the first cells to die are the ones that replicate the fastest – these include cells in the hair and stomach.
- When a person receives a dose of radiation which is lethal, the molecular machinery of the cells, including the data storage mechanisms (DNA) gets irreparably damaged. This is when vital internal organs, such as the liver start shutting down.
- The human brain contributes to 2% of the body’s total mass. However, some species of ants have the highest brain-to-body ratio, at 14%-15% of the total mass in the body.
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