This article was originally published on Kueez
Believe it or not, we all have superpowers from head to toe. While they might not be the superpowers you would typically think of, like flying or the power to be invisible, our bodies can do many things we never knew about. From creating a brand new skeleton to radiating light, you might be surprised to find out just how many amazing secret powers our bodies have that we never notice.
Your Entire Skeleton Will Regenerate In 10 Years
Although it might seem impossible, in ten years, you will have a brand new skeleton. Yes, that might sound strange because there isn't a point where all your bones disappear and then reappear, but that is because your skeletal system's cells are constantly regenerating.
In about a decade, your bones will have fully regenerated. However, this process does start to slow down as you age, and because it takes longer as you get older, your bones naturally become thinner. This is why you have to be more careful and take care of your health in your later years.
You Are Tallest In The Morning
If you want to feel good about yourself, make sure the doctor measures you in the morning when you are your tallest. This is because there is a lot of pressure put on your joints throughout the day, which causes your spine to compress.
Although it is only fractions of an inch, it is enough to push everything down. Then, when you go to sleep, your body relaxes, and the pressure is relieved from your spine, which allows you to return to your normal height.
Kids Grow Faster In The Summer
Remember when you were in grade school, and people would return from summer break much taller than the previous school year? This might be because children grow faster in the summer. It is not because they are getting more sun like flowers but because apparently, growth spurts are seasonal.
A few factors contribute to this, including less stress from schoolwork, more time to sleep, healthier eating, and longer hours to play. Their bodies produce more growth hormones, which makes them grow faster. Children grow the slowest in the fall and winter.
Babies Don't Have Knee Caps
Have you ever noticed that babies are extremely flexible? That might be because they don't have knee caps when they are born. Although it seems like a necessary part of the human body, their softer cartilage eventually turns to bone as they start to grow.
The process of the cartilage hardening to bone happens between the ages of two and six, and it doesn't finish until they become young adults. In rare cases, the bone doesn't fully fuse together, and this causes a two-part kneecap.
Your Bones Are Stronger Than Steel
At some point in most people's lives, they experience a broken bone. However, our bones are made of an incredibly tough substance. They are so strong that, ounce for ounce, our bones are stronger than steel. In addition, our bones have greater pressure tolerance than a rod of steel.
The strongest bone in the body is the femur (located in the thigh), which can support about 30 times the weight of the average human. It takes a lot to break or fracture a femur, which is why it is fairly rare.
Your Feet Contain A Quarter Of Your Bones
While some people have small feet and others have larger feet, all humans have a quarter of their bones in their feet. Each foot has 26 bones, totaling 52 bones in both feet. They also contain 33 joints and more than 100 muscles, tendons, and ligaments.
If your feet hurt, it could be for many reasons because there are so many different things inside them. It is important to take care of your feet because those aches and pains could indicate other underlying problems.
The Smallest Bone In Your Body Is In Your Ear
The adult human skeleton is made up of 206 bones. While it might not seem important, the smallest and lightest bone in the body is the stapes, located in the middle ear. It is shaped like a stirrup, and it helps measure sound vibrations.
Without your stapes, sound can't travel from your middle ear to your inner ear, which makes it hard to hear. It is rare for people to be born without a stapes, but it is possible.
Your Bones Fuse Together As You Age
When you are born, your body has 300 bones. Eventually, your bones fuse together to create 206. As we age, the cartilage hardens, and this fusing process happens by the time we reach young adulthood.
Some bones form as you get older, like your kneecaps, which we mentioned before, but usually, your bones are fusing together.
Only 1 Percent Of People Have Outie Belly Buttons
Chances are, you are one of the many people that have an innie belly button. It is much more common for people to have innies, and outies are rare and only found in 10 percent of adults. Contrary to popular belief, the navel doesn't depend on how the umbilical cord is cut at birth.
The thing that determines the belly button shape is how the scar heals afterward. Some people go as far as getting revision surgery to correct their outie belly buttons even though there is nothing wrong with an outie.
Your Fingers Don't Have Muscles
While our fingers help us do countless things like opening doors and picking up things, they don't have any muscles. Therefore, we can't attribute any strength to our actual fingers. However, our fingers can do so many things because of the bones and tendons inside of them.
Much of the strength comes from the muscles in the palms of our hands at the base of each finger. If you think your fingers are getting stronger from texting or lifting the groceries out of the car, that is impossible.
Most Of Your Hand Strength Is In Your Pinkie
Although there aren't any muscles in the fingers, most of our hand's strength comes from the pinkie finger. It helps the thumb pinch and gives more power to the ring, middle, and index fingers. If you were to lose your pinkie finger, it would cause you to lose 50 percent of your hand strength.
It's the finger your smartphone can't live without because it helps us hold onto our phones more securely. Without the casing, you would probably drop your phone more often, and it would take you longer to type messages.
The Tongue Is The Only Muscle That Doesn't Join Two Bones
Stick out your tongue and move it around! When you do that, you will realize it isn't really attached to anything. That is because it is the only muscle in the body that doesn't join two bones. Every other muscle in the human body connects to bones at both ends.
On one end, it is connected to the hyoid bone in your neck, but the other end moves around freely. The tongue comprises eight different muscles that intertwine with each other, creating a flexible matrix like an elephant's trunk.
Your Glutes Are The Largest Muscle
Although there are debates about which muscle is the strongest, there is no denying that the glutes are the largest muscle in your body. These muscles help keep your body upright, move your hips and thighs, and help you walk uphills and upstairs.
As you strengthen your glutes, it can help alleviate back pain. It is just an added bonus that they also make jeans look so much better. Surprisingly, twerking doesn't involve any of the glute muscles, in case you were wondering.
We Have As Much Hair As Chimps
When you look at a chimpanzee, you might think they are extremely hairy, but it turns out we are just as hairy as them. In a 2011 study, researchers found that we have the same number of hairs as a chimpanzee. However, there is a big difference between the type of hair we have compared to them.
The hair humans have is much finer than chimps, making it harder to see and creating less volume. Their hair also grows longer on all parts of their bodies. As humans, we shave or try to remove hair, so we will probably never look like chimps.
Hair Can "Taste"
Speaking of hair, did you know that some of yours can "taste?" Your nasal passages and lungs are lined with super fine hairs, aka cilia, that can detect impurities. They sense this by picking up on bitter tastes of things passing through them.
When the cilia detect an impurity, they move faster to help sweep out the bitter taste. Some of these bitter "tastes" include nicotine. Our bodies reject these flavors and try to eliminate them.
Your Hair Knows When You Are Asleep
It knows when you are asleep, and it knows when you are awake, but we aren't talking about Santa Clause; we are talking about your hair. Hair can track your sleeping patterns, according to a 2010 study.
Hair follicles contain RNA from "clock genes" that help the body know a person's sleep cycle. If you wake up late or go to bed early, your hair will be different. Therefore, a good hair day could depend on the amount of sleep you are getting.
Hair Is Very Absorbent
Surprisingly, dirty hair is actually not a bad thing. In fact, greasy hair can be good for the environment because it absorbs air pollutants. Scalp oils help this process, so if you want to skip a wash, it could be better for the environment.
Hair can also absorb oils. When there are oil spills in the ocean, hair is used to help absorb it to stop it from spreading and harming more marine life. When you go get a trim at the hair salon, those clippings could be used to save the ocean.
Human Nails Grow Faster Now Than They Did In The Past
These days, we feel like our nails are growing faster than ever, and there is an evolutionary reason for that. A 2010 study compared nail growth from the present, 50, and 70 years ago showed nail growth had increased by a quarter over the decades.
Scientists believe this is due to an increase in protein-rich diets. In the 1930s, big toes would grow 1.65 mm per month compared to 2 mm in 2010. Next time you think about clipping your nails, remember they are growing faster than in previous years.
Your Posture Affects Your Memory
When you sit at your desk, do you ever find yourself hunching over? Many people have trouble keeping their posture perfect throughout the day, and it could be affecting their memory. Bad posture isn't just irritating your back, but it also makes it harder to remember things.
Sitting and looking downward tends to make you recall more negative memories, while sitting up straight and looking upwards helps you remember positive things. Next time you are feeling down, try straightening your posture and see how it can improve your memory and mood.
Humans Give Off A Tiny Amount Of Light
We have all heard of the pregnancy glow before, but we never knew every human had it too. Being a human that glows sounds like a superpower, but it turns out that everybody emits light like a shiny diamond. However, we aren't able to see this light because it is too low to detect with the naked eye.
This glow is the result of highly reactive free radicals produced through cell respiration interacting with fats and proteins. This reacts with a chemical in our body and produces a tiny amount of light.
A Blink Is A Micronap
We always thought blinking was just to keep our eyes moist, but there are other purposes for it. While that is an essential part of blinking, blinking actually helps us sharpen our attention and recharge our batteries.
We blink 15 to 20 times per minute, and ten percent of our time away is spend with our eyes closed from blinking. Next time you find yourself blinking more frequently, it could be a sign your body needs some rest.
Having Big Eyes Doesn't Mean A Person Can See Well
Big eyes have been desired by people for a long time because we usually equate them with being more beautiful. Although they might look pretty, having larger eyes can cause nearsightedness. This causes distant objects to look blurry because light doesn't properly reach the retina.
When your eyeballs grow larger than normal, light focuses too soon before it hits the retina. Therefore, when it does hit the retina, the image appears blurry. If you know someone with big eyes, they might need glasses.
It's Impossible To Tickle Yourself
Have you ever tried to tickle yourself? If you haven't, that's completely normal because most people haven't thought about tickling themselves. No point in trying, though, as it is impossible. This is because the part of your brain that monitors movement and predicts sensations that won't allow you to feel like you are being tickled.
We think the only part of your body that you can tickle is the roof of your mouth. For some reason, it seems like the brain can't predict that sensation. If you know someone is about to tickle you, maybe you can resist the feeling of being ticklish.
Stomach Acid Can Dissolve Razor Blades
We highly advise against swallowing razors because you could potentially die, but you might be surprised to find out that your stomach could do some damage to one of the blades. Researchers found that stomach acid could reduce metal objects to 63 percent of their original weight.
However, pennies and batteries were not affected in this research. We still don't think swallowing metal is a wise thing to do, but if it happens accidentally, you might be able to pass it naturally thanks to the acid in your stomach.
Your Intestines Are Four Times Your Height
Even if you are very short, the things in your body could be much larger than you think. In case you didn't know, your small intestine is usually 18 to 23 feet long. Therefore, if you uncoiled it, it would be about four times your height.
What's more, even though it is called your large intestine, it is only five feet long. It is strange that they call it the large intestine even though it is shorter than the small intestine.
Your Gut Is Like A Second Brain
Your gut is a lot smarter than you think, and when people tell you to trust it, you might want to listen. The gut is lined with a network of neurons that scientists often call the "second brain."
It doesn't just handle digestion, but it also has its own reflexes and senses. These senses interact with the nervous system, which is why trusting your gut is so important.
The Is A Funny Word For The Noise Your Stomach Makes When You Are Hungry
Have you ever been so hungry that your stomach started making all kinds of grumbling noises? It's pretty embarrassing because it feels like the whole world can hear your stomach growling. Well, there is a pretty funny word for those noises.
The word for those noises is borborygmus. It is the technical term for the sound that results from fluid and gas moving around in the intestines. So next time your stomach starts to grumble because of hunger, remember the name for it.
Humans Are The Only Animals That Cry
Having a good cry is one of the best ways to relieve all your pent-up emotions. Although many animals produce tears as a lubricant for their eyes, no other species besides humans can weep. We are the only ones that use crying as an emotional response.
There have been studies that say tears serve as a social purpose for humans. People who think they are just crying for themselves are still putting on some kind of performance. It shows you how things have gotten really bad or that something is bothering you a lot.
Sneezes Can Travel 20 Feet
Have you ever wondered why colds and the flu pass between people so quickly? It might be because when people sneeze, the germs travel up to 20 feet. So while you may have thought you were safe from germs by giving people personal space, you should back up a little more.
In fact, while everyone was wearing face masks, colds and the flu decreased because germs were being spread less rapidly. It was much safer than not wearing masks and allowing people's sneeze germs to fly through the air.
It's Good To Have Some Ear Wax
We have all done it before; you know what we are talking about. Everyone has stuck a Q-tip in their ear to clean out earwax. However, that stuff you are trying to remove serves the important purpose of lubricating and protecting your ears.
Earwax is as much as 50 percent fat, coating the ear and catching debris and dust. Even though it looks gross, it can help keep your ears stay healthy and uninfected.
Your Taste Buds Get Weaker With Age
Although some things taste better as they age, as people get older, it is harder for them to appreciate those delicious things. Like our hearing and vision tend to weaken as we get older, so does our ability to taste things.
As you age, like your bones, your taste buds regenerate slower due to injuries or medications. Sadly, women experience a decrease in their taste sensitivity during their 50s and 60s when their bodies go through many changes.
Your Tongue Has A Print Like Your Fingers
We have talked a lot about tongues already, but did you know that your tongue is completely unique compared to everyone else in the world? Just like your fingerprints are unique to you, your tongue also has a one-of-a-kind print.
Your tongue can be used for biometric scans to compare the length, width, texture, and all the specific details that make your tongue special. It might be as specific to you as a fingerprint, but forensic scientists do not use tongue prints to identify people.
Our Eyes Have More Megapixels Than A Camera
Our eyes are truly incredible. There are so many things we can see that show how beautiful the world is. Although it might seem silly to compare our eyes to a phone camera, in abstract terms, it is quite interesting.
Scientists have been able to count 126 megapixels in the human eye, while the latest iPhone only has 12 megapixels. So imagine what the camera quality would be like if it had the same amount of megapixels as our eyes.
Our Brains Have A Lot Of Storage Space
Have you ever wondered how much storage space is in our brains? The human brain has approximately 100 billion neurons. Each of those creates 1,000 potential synapses that store data. If you multiply those together, our brains technically have 100 terabytes of information.
To put that into perspective, the most powerful supercomputer in the world has 710 terabytes of system memory. While our brains aren't the same as the Titan supercomputer, it does come fairly close.
Your Liver Can Regrow
You have probably heard of people donating part of their livers to someone else, and you must have wondered how someone can live with a smaller liver. But the liver is actually the only organ that can regenerate itself. So even if it is reduced to 75 percent of its size, it can ultimately grow back.
The liver can regrow because of the rapid replication of liver cells, and it would only take a month to regrow to its original size. It's like a starfish regrowing its arm when it gets injured.
Our DNA Would Require This Many Gigabytes Of Storage
There is a lot of data on this planet between humans and the technology we create. According to the scientific channel Veritasium, by the year 2020, all the stored data on the world will reach 40 zettabytes. In the human body alone, there are 60 zettabytes of data.
It is incredible how much data can be stored in our bodies, no matter how big or small they are. Humans are unbelievable, and there is still so much we don't know about our bodies.
Our Brains Process Information At The Same Speed As A Bullet Train
Each second, about 100,000 chemical reactions happen in our brains. Just imagine how many reactions are happening as you read this sentence. In case you were wondering how fast that would be in terms of miles per hour, it is equivalent to a bullet train.
The world's fastest train reaches 270 miles per hour, and that is about as fast as the process of the chemical reaction in our brains. Our brains are so quick and powerful with their abilities to process things.
We Have More Than Five Senses
The five senses that we know about are touch, taste, feel, smell, and hearing. However, there are other senses that people don't include, like the sense of space, sense of pain, sense of balance, sense of temperature, and sense of time to name a few.
These depend on the person you ask, but it makes sense that these are the senses we should also include. We can sense many things outside of the five senses, and we should start recognizing them.
A Second Of Our Sight Would Take Up This Much Storage
Have you ever wondered what it would be like if we could download all of our memories onto a computer to rewatch them like a movie? You would need a lot of storage space because a second of human sight is equivalent to 21.45 GB.
If you want to put that into perspective, one second of a phone video only takes up 375 MB of storage. Every gigabyte is equivalent to 1000 megabytes, so you can see how much of a difference that makes in terms of storage.
We Use More Than 10 Percent Of Our Brains
There has been a longstanding myth that humans only use ten percent of their brains. However, that is not true because the brain uses as many resources as it needs in that particular moment.
Some people compare the way we use our brains to a radio. Although we may only listen to one channel at a time, there are over 100 channels available for us to use.