The human body is capable of some truly remarkable things – even if they can be a little gross at times. Some of its strangest and most interesting behaviors are things most of us never learned about at school. So, here are a few facts about the human body that might just creep you out… (Picture: Getty)
1. Bleach tries to turn your hand into soap
The process is known as saponification, and essentially, due to a chemical reaction, the bleach is turning the oils and fats on and in your hand into a form of soap. This is why your hand always feels slippery after you work with bleach – and a reason why you should always wear gloves when handling the substance. (Picture: Getty)
2. The spinal cord has a similar consistency to a banana
The spinal cord has a soft rubbery consistency, like thick dough, and is also quite delicate. The cord itself is soft and easily damaged, but is protected by vertebrae and cerebrospinal fluid. It’s a fragile, cylindrical bundle of nerve tissue, not solid, requiring significant protection. (Picture: Getty)
3. Your internal organs can be itchy
Our internal organs can produce itch-like sensations, either because itch receptors activate pain neurons or due to systemic conditions affecting the liver, kidneys, or thyroid. Nerve problems can also trigger deep, widespread itching even without a rash. Diseases such as anemia, diabetes, and certain cancers can also cause internal itchiness. (Picture: Getty)
4. Earwax is actually a type of sweat
Earwax is produced by modified sweat glands in the ear canal, and is mixed with oily secretions (sebum) from oil glands, dead skin cells, and dirt, forming a natural protective substance. (Picture: Getty)
5. The human body emits light
Humans are naturally producing a faint light known as ultraweak photon emission (UPE) or biophoton emission, as a byproduct of metabolic chemical reactions, but it is far too weak for the naked eye to see. This is not infrared light, but something different as the intensity of the glow fluctuates throughout the day, following the body’s circadian rhythms. (Picture: Getty)
6. Children can regenerate their finger tips
Young children have the ability to regenerate lost fingertip tissue – which includes bone, skin, and nail, if the amputation occurs just below the nail bed and the wound isn’t stitched closed. This will allow stem cells beneath the nail to trigger regrowth, and it is not something that adults can do. (Picture: Getty)
7. Old scars can reopen due to lack of vitamin C
If you have a severe lack of vitamin C, then old wounds can re-open as the vitamin is crucial for collagen production, and without it, the body can’t maintain existing scar tissue, causing it to weaken, break down, and reopen. So, it turns out that vitamin C is essential not just for healing new wounds but also for maintaining the structural integrity of old, healed wounds. (Picture: Getty)Add as preferred source