Despite millennia of study, the human body is still an inexhaustible storehouse of mysteries.
Additional ribs
Usually, the average person has 12 ribs on each side, but some people have an extra rib, which, incidentally, can cause health problems.
This rib is called the cervical rib and occurs in 0.05–3 percent of people, studies have shown. It grows from the base of the neck just above the collarbone, and sometimes does not form completely, but consists only of a thin strip of tissue fiber.
An extra rib can lead to health problems if it presses on nearby blood vessels or nerve endings. This leads to a condition known as thoracic outlet syndrome, which is characterized by pain in the shoulder or neck, a feeling of loss of a limb, and the presence of blood clots.
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Hyoid bone
The hyoid bone is the only bone in the body that is not connected to any other bone; it is the basis of the ability to speak and is found only in humans.
This horseshoe bone is found in the throat between the chin and the thyroid cartilage. Due to its location, the bone works together with the larynx and tongue to produce a range of sounds.
Labial groove
The nasal groove, also sometimes referred to as a filter, is a vertical “groove” above the midsection of the upper lip.
In some animals, it may have improved their sense of smell, as the area around the nose remained moist, but in humans this part of the body has no specific function.
This is likely because modern people rely more on sight than on any other sense. The groove lost its functionality, and remained only as a relic of evolution.
Coccyx
The tailbone, or tail, is formed by the fusion of the vertebrae, and is the remnant of the tail found in other mammals.
It has been suggested that the tailbone helps anchor small muscles and support the pelvic organs. However, there have been numerous medical cases where the tailbone was surgically removed without any negative consequences.
Some medical cases describe babies who are born with an elongated tailbone. Today, such an unusual "tail" can be easily disposed of by surgery, but in the Middle Ages it was believed that such a sign indicates a connection with the devil, and in such cases, the mother and child were executed.
Disappearing bones
The human skeletal system is full of miracles. Take this example: Adults have fewer bones than children. We are born with 350 bones, but since some bones grow together over time, as adults, we are left with only 206 bones.
Recovering stomach
To some extent, this is a philosophical question, but it can be argued that every three to four days we have a new stomach. This is because the lining of our stomach is constantly producing new cells. In fact, the stomach is constantly creating new layers in order not to be digested by its own acid.
Something in the knee
In November 2013, Belgian researchers first described a ligament in the human knee; it was called the anterolateral ligament. A French surgeon first suggested the existence of this ligament in 1879, but so far its existence has not been proven.
Dua layer
In another study, scientists discovered a previously unknown layer in the human eye.
It is a thin, durable structure, named after its discoverer "Dua Layer", which is only 15 micrometers thick, or one millionth of a meter, and lies behind the cornea.
The discovery of this layer will help researchers better understand some eye diseases that can be caused by tearing or trauma to this layer.
Muscle that allows you to wiggle your ears
Cats, dogs and some lucky humans can use a muscle group called Auriculares to wiggle their ears. This muscle group includes the anterior ear muscle, which propels the ear forward; the top, which raises its back and pushes it back.
Although we all have these muscles, it is believed that only about 15 percent of people are able to use them while moving their ears.
Organ age
Oddly enough, different organs of our body are of different ages. One of the fastest aging tissues in the human body is the tissue of the female mammary glands. It is, on average, three years older than the rest of the tissues.
But the tissue of the heart, which is constantly renewed by stem cells, is several years younger than the rest of the body, and you can proudly announce this on your next birthday.
