All articles tagged with #anatomy
A BuzzFeed Health roundup lists 31 surprising and sometimes bizarre facts about the human body—ranging from lifelong saliva volume and morning height to unique tongue patterns, goosebumps, and the vast network of blood vessels—demonstrating how remarkable and often overlooked our physiology is.
The article explains that gym penis is real but usually temporary: exercise activates the sympathetic nervous system, causing the muscles around the scrotum to contract and the testicles to retract toward the body, which can make the penis look smaller. A similar effect occurs in cold water; most people return to normal within minutes to an hour as blood flow rebalances. Persisting changes or new symptoms such as lumps, swelling, pain, or erection problems should be checked by a GP per NHS guidance.
German anatomist Gunther von Hagens, who invented plastination and created the Body Worlds exhibitions, has died at 81 in Heidelberg after a cerebral hemorrhage; he had Parkinson’s disease since 2008. He had long said he wished to have his body plastinated after death, and his Plastinarium announced that this would be carried out, though the display location was not yet decided. His work popularized preserved-body displays while sparking ongoing ethical debate about consent and spectacle in anatomy.
A BuzzFeed health roundup collects 19 astonishing medical facts that med students say blew their minds, covering everything from direct outside-to-peritoneal pathways and pregnancies occurring with only one ovary and one fallopian tube on opposite sides, to neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), real-time cerebellar motor plan updates, and bone-marrow transplants as stem-cell reinfusions. The list also highlights the body’s cancer surveillance, amniotic-fluid origins, and other surprising bits of anatomy, physiology, and pharmacology, drawing on sources like StatPearls, PubMed, ASH, and WHO to showcase the awe-inspiring complexity of the human body.
Medical students share 19 astonishing facts about the human body, from surprising routes for sperm and rare pregnancy scenarios to immune defenses, real-time motor corrections by the cerebellum, how bone marrow transplants are performed via IV, and broader lessons like pattern recognition in drug action, inflammation as a driver of disease, and the vaccine-driven eradication of smallpox—proof of the body's extraordinary complexity.
The enduring belief that elephants fear mice is a myth. Elephants aren’t terrified by small rodents; instead, their cautious behavior comes from poor eyesight and a need to avoid harming small animals, aided by the trunk’s control and an epiglottis that keeps intruders out. The myth traces to ancient Greek fables and has been popularized in media, but observations show elephants move with purpose and restraint, not fear, when encountering mice.
Elephants aren’t afraid of mice. The popular fear stems from Ancient Greek fables and cartoons, but in reality elephants typically avoid small animals out of caution to avoid harming them, aided by poor eyesight and a trunk that acts with care. Their anatomy, including a protective epiglottis in the trunk, helps prevent small creatures from entering their airways, debunking the myth with biology rather than fear.
BuzzFeed rounds up 28 jaw‑dropping photos of the human body, ranging from quirky features like a double uvula and wild hair patterns to unusual nails, birthmarks, veins, and other anatomical quirks, each with brief captions that amuse and intrigue readers about the remarkable diversity of human anatomy.
After a viral post claimed the clitoris can disappear with age, experts explain that aging can bring hormonal shifts and other changes to female sexual health (especially around menopause and lubrication), but the clitoris itself does not simply vanish; the article walks through what actually happens and how to address age-related sexual health concerns.
A new analysis of 82 theropod species links forelimb shrinkage to the rise of giant sauropods, suggesting evolutionary pressure favored larger jaws for prey while arms became vestigial. In tyrannosaurids, all forelimb elements reduced at similar rates, implying skull strength preceded arm loss and that grasping was no longer essential for predation. The study shows correlation rather than causation, but supports the shift from using arms to rely on jaws for hunting.
Paleontologists say Tyrannosaurus rex evolved a massive skull and powerhouse bite to subdue prey, while its forelimbs were reduced because they offered little advantage as the predator grew—an energy-and-structure trade-off that left the arms vestigial, with possible minor roles but never matching the bite’s power.
An evolutionary biologist explains that what we hear as a unique voice arises from a mix of anatomy and resonance: the length and shape of the vocal tract, the position and tension of the larynx and vocal cords, and the configuration of the mouth, tongue, and nasal cavities all shape timbre, pitch, and cadence. While genetics set the potential, individual experience and environment fine‑tune a person’s voice, making each voice a distinctive fingerprint used in everyday communication and social signaling.
BuzzFeed Health compiles 31 viral facts about the human body, offering quick explanations and sources—from how memories and songs are stored in different brain regions to astonishing quirks like enteral ventilation (butt breathing) and fetal stem cell migration—delivering a playful, educational tour of our body's surprises.
Researchers describe the interstitium as an interconnected network of fluid-filled spaces in connective tissue, revealing a third circulatory system that links skin, fascia, and organs; this could explain acupuncture's mechanisms, influence fat biology and inflammatory bowel disease, and shed light on how cancer spreads, with potential new therapeutic targets.
A Lifes Little Mysteries explainer examines why humans uniquely have a chin, outlining several theories—from jaw reinforcement and facial remodeling to potential social signaling—while noting there’s no consensus and that the chin may be a byproduct of how the human face evolved rather than a feature with a single purpose.