Owners’ Manual for the Human Body
What is the hardest bone in the body? (See the end of this post for the answer.)
In May, Chris and I participated in a great anatomy workshop. Since then we’ve increased our ongoing review of the body’s parts, systems, and functions. I’ve never been interested in computer games. Recently, I’ve begun playing (and enjoying!) free anatomy and physiology games online at sites like Anatomy Arcade and Free Anatomy Quiz.
Many of us had biology in grade school and perhaps more advanced classes in college. But how much did we really learn about the structure and function of the bodies in which we’ll each spend our entire lives?
Why don’t these things come with owners’ manuals?
That was a revelation for me in massage school. I vaguely knew my muscles moved me around, but it was a very superficial understanding.
Until I took physiology, I had no idea what happened to a glass of water after I drank it. I guess I figured it went down my throat, into my stomach, round and round the intestines, and out the other end.
When I learned that the fluid I drink is a constituent of my blood (plasma is 90% water) and affects my overall blood volume, I was amazed. I was motivated to drink more water and less sugary drinks. The amount of water we drink also affects our blood sugar. Too much of a good thing is no longer a good thing.
- This “How Stuff Works” article describes what happens to the water we drink
- Read this article in Vanderbilt University’s health newsletter to learn about the surprising effects of water on blood pressure and alertness
- Here’s a threat to the only possible drinking water source for Montpelier, Vermont’s capital city, that is of great concern to Chris and me and others who live and work here
Massage school taught me lots more about how the muscles work, too. They not only move us, but they maintain our posture, stabilize our joints, and keep us warm. That’s just skeletal muscle. I also learned about smooth muscle in our organs. And so much more.
What do you know about your body that might surprise others? What do you want to know about the human body?
Oh, the hardest bone in the body is the mandible (jaw bone).
What’s the longest bone in the body? Post your answer and any other thoughts you have as a comment.
The only possible drinking water source for Montpelier, Vermont, which is currently at risk until the state returns it to protection from human activity., as it had been for 100 years until a jurisdictional snafu in 2012.
