Of course, we now know much more about the human body than ever before, but despite the huge amount of important research, many of our features are still mysteries. For example:
1. Why do we have fingerprints?
Despite the obvious benefits of fingerprints (they can, for example, help to identify a person), science really knows nothing about their natural function. Some scientists have developed complex computer models to understand how prints are formed, and although we now know about it, why evolution gave them to us, nothing is known at all.
Perhaps researchers will soon be able to solve this riddle. There are several families in the world with a strange genetic disorder called adermatoglyphia - these people do not have fingerprints. They also sweat a lot less and still be as healthy as everyone else. The researchers hope that studying these families and their genomes will help unravel the evolutionary mystery of fingerprints.
2. How do probiotics work?
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If you've ever seen an ad for yogurt, you may have heard the word "probiotics" or "live bacteria." Many of the touted yoghurt manufacturers claim that their product contains live probiotic cultures that have beneficial effects on overall health. It sounds like yogurt makers have discovered something new, but science has long known that probiotics are a kind of beneficial bacteria that lives in the human gut. And, oddly enough, the yogurt makers are not saying what exactly these living crops are doing for health.
No one is saying anything significant in the first place because no one really knows how probiotics work. In fact, many of the probiotics that are consumed as dietary supplements or added to foods are used because of their shelf life, not because they have health benefits. Of course, there is no harm from them, but scientists are just beginning to study exactly what health benefits each bacteria provides.
Researchers believe that if they can determine the effect of all beneficial bacteria on the body, they will be able to answer many other questions, in particular, they will learn a lot about the treatment of various diseases. True, it will probably take a long time to solve, because there are hundreds of species of probiotic bacteria in the world.
3. Why do we have different blood types?
You probably know that there are four main blood types, and if you have ever donated blood for analysis, then you know what blood type you have. This is quite an important thing, since the blood of the wrong group can destroy you if you suddenly have to do a serious operation.
Since blood types first appeared 20 million years ago, we had a long time to learn about them, although, of course, research began much later. We are perfectly aware of the principles of blood groups, but at the same time we still have no idea why they are different and why it is necessary from the point of view of evolution.
Blood groups are classified by antigens in blood cells. These antigens are antibody signals that destroy foreign cells in the body. Antibodies perfectly “contact” antigens of the correct type, but attack other antigens, as a result of which the wrong type of blood transfused or transplant of the wrong organ can be fatal.
Yes, science knows a lot about blood groups, but no fewer questions still remain unanswered. For example, we have no idea why these antigens are needed. It can be assumed that they have something to do with disease and immunity, as evidenced by some interesting findings.
For example, scientists have found that people with the third blood group are more susceptible to E. coli, and those who do not belong to Duffy's group system have almost complete immunity to one of the forms of malaria. Although it is impossible to speak about the reasons for the appearance of blood groups, there is an opinion that they appeared as a way to fight infectious diseases.
4. Does the brain remain active after decapitation?
There are many legends about how decapitated people remain conscious for several terrifying minutes after death. In some stories, a person blinks or makes other movements to show that he is perfectly aware of everything. It sounds like a childish horror story, but in reality we do not know how long the brain can remain active in such a situation, or if it can at all.
It is difficult to conduct research, primarily because scientists cannot just take and decapitate a person. The only real opportunity for data collection existed in France before and after the revolution, when the guillotine was the main method of execution - then several experiments were carried out, but only one of them was documented.
The case was described by Dr. Gabriel Borough: the eyes on the man's severed head opened and focused for a short time on a certain point, before closing forever. The doctor concluded that some functions remained active for almost 30 seconds after decapitation, but he could not establish whether the person was still conscious.
5. Do people have pheromones?
Animals rely on the scent of their partner's pheromones when it comes to reproduction. Because of this, researchers are trying to figure out if pheromones play a role in human interaction. But the more answers we get, the more confused we get. Many studies have shown that smells definitely affect people, but with pheromones, things are a little more complicated.
For a long time, scientists weren't sure if humans have a special olfactory organ like the one used to detect pheromones by animals. Nevertheless, we have one, but it is very undeveloped and small, so it is not clear if it works at all.
According to the study, all humans have their own unique scent, which we owe to our genome. For example, newborn babies can recognize their mothers by smell, and if women regularly smell each other, then their menstrual cycle can be synchronized. Obviously, there is still a lot to learn about the human sense of smell.
6. What happens when lightning strikes someone?
If you've ever been outside during a thunderstorm, especially around metal, you've probably wondered if lightning could strike you. This is a rather frightening prospect: after a lightning strike, irreversible brain damage, very severe burns, or even death can occur. Despite how horrible it all sounds, most of the victims survive. Some even remain completely unscathed, and science has no idea why.
To find out what's what, the researchers traveled to South Africa, where thunderstorms are more frequent and stronger than anywhere else in the world. They found that lightning travels through our bodies in a special way. They thought it had something to do with an incredible electrical charge passing through a person in a short amount of time. Nevertheless, many questions remain unanswered, and the more we know, the more victims will be saved.
7. How can a woman not know that she is pregnant?
Agree, this seems doubtful: the woman claims that she was very surprised when she suddenly gave birth to a child. All nine months she lived a normal life and did not suspect anything at all, but now - the child was born. This really occurs, although quite rarely, so it is very difficult to study this phenomenon.
One of the reasons a woman may not know she is pregnant is because she is overweight, which in turn means she may be gaining more and more weight so that the extra weight of the baby will not even notice.
It seems to be worth thinking about a very serious menstrual irregularity, but many women, especially those who are overweight, have irregular cycles, and the fact that there are no menstruation for many months in a row is, in principle, normal for them. In addition, some women experience minor, recurring bleeding during pregnancy that could be mistaken for menstruation.
True, sometimes this happens with perfectly healthy women. One patient of Dr. Sabrina Sukhan is just such a case. This woman was of normal weight, she even worked in the medical field, so she knew all the signs of pregnancy, but did not suspect that she was pregnant until she gave birth. Doctors still cannot understand how this is possible.
8. How do mitochondria work?
Mitochondria are an integral part of our body. The sole purpose of microscopic organelles is to convert all the food we eat into energy. For a very long time, we knew almost nothing about mitochondria, but science is close to understanding how they work.
More recently, scientists have learned how mitochondria carry energy. Scientists also learned that the mitochondria really like calcium, which can sometimes cause problems: if the mitochondria absorb too much calcium, it can kill cells. This is associated with diseases like type 2 diabetes.
Researchers believe that these diseases affect the signaling process by which the body tells the mitochondria how much calcium to absorb and how much to excrete. A team of researchers at Harvard recently managed to catalog every protein in mitochondria, including all proteins involved in calcium absorption. So far, there is little information, but we are about to unravel this secret.
9. Why does the ear have three bones?
We are used to hearing sounds. How it works is clear in principle. If the ears are not subject to severe deformations, then they perform their function very well and do not require special care. But not all species have the same ears. Stanford researcher Sunil Puria noted that the ear has two bones in reptiles and birds, while in mammals there are three. Why is unknown.
According to Puria, we hear in several ways. The first way is obvious - sound passes through our ears. But we also hear when vibrations from the movement of our vocal cords pass through the bones of our skull. When you speak, you hear your own voice differently from everyone else. This explains why our own voices are so unpleasant for us if we hear them from the side - for example, on audio or video recordings.
Puria's best theory of why our ears are made up of three bones is based on a strange disease called anterior semicircular canal exposure syndrome. This condition can lead to a decrease in the tissue in the ear canal, and as a result, people hear extraneous sounds that they usually do not perceive, such as the beating of their own heart. Puria suggests that perhaps a third ear bone is needed to minimize these effects, but more research is needed.
10. What bacteria live on our languages?
It would seem that the human mouth certainly does not contain any secrets: we know what teeth are and how they work, we understand what the gums are, and we know a lot about taste buds. At first glance, the language has nothing to hide at all, but in reality the language is just a storehouse of secrets.
Doctors all over the world would like to get bacteria living in the language for research in order to study them in as much detail as possible and thereby save lives. However, most bacteria from our languages do not grow in a petri dish, so it is very difficult to classify and understand them.
This misunderstanding is the biggest stumbling block in the treatment of gum diseases like periodontitis. Doctors do not really know how to treat it, because there are a lot of types of bacteria that cause periodontitis, and too little is known about them.
Researchers have recently managed to grow a single bacterium from the mouth using DNA, and they hope this will provide a better understanding of how to deal with oral diseases. However, there are too many bacteria, and so far, many of the microorganisms that live in our mouths remain a mystery.
