How Many of These Body Facts Did You Know? (Part 1)
Here are some unusual and not widely known facts about the human body parts
a) Human Heart
- The human heart beats around 100,000 times per day.
- The heart pumps about 2,000 gallons of blood through 60,000 miles of blood vessels each day.
- The heart starts beating at 4 weeks after conception.
- The heart creates enough energy to drive a truck 20 miles per day.
- The heart can continue beating even when separated from the body, as long as it has an adequate oxygen supply.
- Heart cells stop dividing, which means heart cancer is extremely rare.
- Every day, the heart creates enough energy to drive a truck 20 miles.
- The heart has its own electrical system that controls the heartbeat independently of the brain. This system is responsible for maintaining a regular rhythm, and malfunction can lead to arrhythmias.
- Heart attacks can sometimes cause “broken heart syndrome” or takotsubo cardiomyopathy, a condition where severe emotional stress can lead to symptoms resembling a heart attack.
- The heart’s left ventricle is usually thicker and stronger than the right ventricle, as it has to pump blood throughout the entire body, while the right ventricle only pumps blood to the lungs.
b) Kidneys
- Kidneys filter about 190 litres of blood to generate 1–2 litres of urine per day.
- The kidneys contain around 1 million nephrons that filter the blood.
- Kidney transplants can come from both living and deceased donors.
- Kidneys are not perfectly paired — the right kidney is usually lower than the left.
- Kidney pain is called renal colic and can be excruciating.
- Most humans are born with 2 kidneys. However, if one of the kidneys is removed, the body only loses 25% of its expected renal function.
- Your kidneys can sometimes serve as a replacement for other organs, such as generating vitamin D in your body.
- For children born with renal agenesis (i.e. one kidney), the lone kidney grows till it has the combined weight of two.
- Each kidney contains around one million tiny structures called nephrons, which filter blood and remove waste products to form urine.
- The kidneys receive approximately 20% of the blood pumped by the heart, allowing them to filter and process about 120 to 150 quarts (114 to 142 liters) of blood daily.
- Kidneys play a crucial role in regulating blood pressure by controlling the volume of blood and the concentration of electrolytes in the body.
- The renal pelvis, a funnel-shaped structure in the kidney, collects urine before it flows down the ureter to the bladder.
- Kidneys are responsible for producing erythropoietin, a hormone that stimulates the production of red blood cells in the bone marrow.
Check out Part 2 next
