– BEAUTIFUL BODY – How many of these body parts beginning with the letter “M” are you familiar with? Tidbits invites you to “get physical” to test your knowledge. • The malleolus and the malleus might sound similar, but they’re in no way related. The malleolus is the bone that sticks out on either side of the ankle joint, providing stability to the joint. The bone on the inner side of the ankle is at the lower end of the tibia, while the one on the outer side is formed by the lower end of the fibula. The malleus is […]
Topical Tidbits
Lungs – BEAUTIFUL BODY –
– BEAUTIFUL BODY – Take a deep breath and soak up these facts on the human body’s lungs, the most important organs in the respiratory system. • The lungs are responsible for extracting oxygen from the air we breathe and transferring it to the bloodstream, where it is sent to the cells. The lungs also remove carbon dioxide as a waste gas through exhaling. When we inhale, air travels down the throat, through the larynx, and into the trachea. The trachea has two air passages, or bronchial tubes, with one leading to the left lung and one to the right. […]
The Thumb – BEAUTIFUL BODY –
– BEAUTIFUL BODY – • Humans are not the only animals with opposable thumbs. Most (but not all) species of primates have thumbs, as well as certain species of frogs, rats, mice, lemurs, birds, pandas, and even dinosaurs. The opossum does, and also the chameleon. • But in humans, it made all the difference. “Increased manual dexterity in the form of efficient thumb opposition was among the early defining characteristics of our lineage, providing a formidable adaptive advantage to our ancestors,” says paleo anthropologist Katerina Harvati. The thumb has been described as “mankind’s greatest app.” • The development of the […]
The Pancreas – BEAUTIFUL BODY –
– BEAUTIFUL BODY – It may be small – just 4.7 to 5.9 inches (12-15 cm) long – but the pancreas is vital to the digestive process. This week, Tidbits delves into the functions of this important organ. • A Greek surgeon named Herophilus was the first to formally identify the pancreas around 300 B.C. The organ was first referred to as the pancreas about 400 years late, when another Greek surgeon, Ruphos, came up with the name using the Greek word “pankreas,” which translates “all flesh,” perhaps because of its lack of bone or cartilage. • Where is the […]
Tickle – BEAUTIFUL BODY –
– BEAUTIFUL BODY – • What exactly is a tickle? In scientific terms, nerve signals are sent from the skin to the primary somatosensory cortex, which is the part of the brain that controls the sense of touch. These signals are analyzed by the anterior cingulate cortex, which is the part of the brain that responds to pleasant feelings. The messages also generate activity in the hypothalamus, which is responsible for instinctive involuntary reactions to situations that might involve pain. • The automatic response from the hypothalamus prepares us for an incoming attack, triggering an involuntary self-defense mechanism designed to […]
Cells – BEAUTIFUL BODY –
– BEAUTIFUL BODY – They’re the smallest living organism and the building block of the body. Join Tidbits this week as we explore the basic unit of life. • The human body contains over 30 trillion cells – that’s the number 30 followed by 12 zeroes! This number can vary depending on age, gender, body size, and environment. About 200 different types of cell make up this total, including blood cells, skin, nerve, bone, and fat cells. Red blood cells are the most abundant, making up 80% of the total. Each cell contains an astonishing 100 trillion atoms! • The […]
Ear Wax – BEAUTIFUL BODY –
– BEAUTIFUL BODY – by Janet Spencer • The nose is protected by hairs and mucus; the eyes are protected by hairs and tears; but the ear is protected by hairs and wax. • Ear wax is not really wax, though it does have a waxy texture. It’s composed of several things. • First are cast-off cells from the special type of skin that lines the ear canal. Like all skin, it’s constantly renewing itself because even the tiniest break in the skin here will lead to ear infections and ear aches. • The skin in the ear canal […]
Benefits of Exercise – BEAUTIFUL BODY –
– BEAUTIFUL BODY – It’s alarming to learn that roughly 3.2 million people die every year due to physical inactivity. Here are some facts and suggestions to avoid becoming part of that statistic! • Are you a couch potato? Do you have a sedentary lifestyle? If your life includes a lot of sitting and lying down with very little to no exercise, this might describe you. Our lives have become more inactive – long days sitting at a desk at work, sitting in cars, buses, or trains, binge-watching TV, or playing hours of video games. • What’s bound to […]
Blonds – BEAUTIFUL BODY –
– BEAUTIFUL BODY – • Blond hair is relatively rare globally, while being extremely common in certain areas. It’s estimated that about 84% of the world’s population has black or dark brown hair. Brunettes come in second with 11%. Only about 3% of the population is blond, and an additional 2% are redheads. • The percentage varies regionally. Black is the most common throughout Africa and Asia. But in the U.S., only 7.5% of the population has black hair. Scotland has the highest percentage of redheads, with 13%. Red hair with blue eyes is the rarest combination of hair and […]
Hair – BEAUTIFUL BODY –
– BEAUTIFUL BODY – This week, Tidbits combs up some facts on our crowning glory – hair! • The average person has between 100,000 and 150,000 strands of hair on his/her head. That number varies depending on hair color. Natural blonds have the most hair, about 150,000 strands, while brunettes have 100,000, with just 90,000 for redheads. The head has about 800 to 1,300 hairs per square inch, each with a thickness between .016 and .05 mm. • Hair color is determined by genetics and differs by ethnicity. Black or brown hair comprises about 90% of people in the […]