19 Weird Facts About the Human Body That Will Make You Reexamine Yourself

The human body is a miraculous thing, but how much do you really know about the skin you live in? If you want to learn more about the oddities of your anatomy, we have quite the list of weird facts about the human body!

Think about it - we know that newborns cry as a way of communicating their needs, but have you ever actually seen tears accompany these screaming sessions? The reason you won't see a tearful display is because a baby's nasolacrimal duct (tear duct) does not fully develop until at least two weeks of age.

However, it isn't until their one to two-month mark that their little bodies begin to produce more tears. Once this happens, their cries will become even harder to resist!

Researchers have found that "people with efficient brains may have too much brain capacity to stop their minds from wandering." This means that your daydreaming may be a good thing!

Did you know that stomach acid contains the same chemical compound found in Lysol? Gastric acid is comprised of hydrochloric acid, which can cause severe burns and even blindness. There are actually reports of an individual incurring second-degree burns when his feeding tube disconnected and his skin was exposed to the acid from his stomach.

So how is it that your stomach stays safe from this corrosive material? The organ is lined with mucus that protects it from burns! However, this is this reason folks with heartburn complain so much.

Their stomach acid is moving into their esophagus, which does not have that same protective layer. Remember this the next time they ask you to pass the Tums!

Yep - the female egg is the largest cell in the human body and sperm is the smallest. In fact, you can see human eggs with the naked eye! Makes it a little surprising that it can be so hard to conceive!

An adult human has 206 bones in their body - and 106 of them are in the hands and feet. That is 27 bones in each hand and 26 in each foot.

When your parents make comments about your stupid decisions as a teen and young adult, it's actually for good reason. Turns out that the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain directly behind your forehead, is the last piece of your brain to develop.

This area is "responsible for skills like planning, prioritizing, and making good decisions." Hence, effective communication is key with individuals in this age range!

While many think that the tongue is the strongest muscle in the body, it is actually in your jaw! Your masseter muscles are situated on either side of your face and they exert a whopping amount of pressure every time you close your mouth - "a force as great as 55 pounds (25 kilograms) on the incisors or 200 pounds (90.7 kilograms) on the molars."

It sounds ridiculous, we know, but research shows that by tightening your arm muscles as much as possible for a mere three seconds a day for 20 consecutive days, you can improve your biceps strength by up to 12%!

Turns out that the easiest way to avoid overeating is to drink water before your meal. Research shows it takes your body 20 minutes to figure out that you are full, but by drinking water prior to and during the meal, you help to shorten this window of time. This illusion of satiety helps eaters to consume less throughout the meal.

Despite the commonly used slang, there is no bone in a man's penis. However, our primate relatives, both past and present, do have this added support, called a baculum, in their reproductive appendages. Scientists theorize that monogamy played a part in this evolutionary change.

Since humans tend to have shorter intromission durations, and fewer partners, the need for a long erection window is not necessary. Woolley monkeys and spider monkeys also lack this bone.

Now that you think about it, it seems like an obvious fact, but your fingernails grow over two times faster than your toenails! Sadly, with your fingernails growing at the glacial speed of approximately 0.1 mm each day, this can bring a BIG wait for a broken toenail to return.

Interestingly though, children's nails grow much faster than adults, which is why you have to clip your baby's nails more often than your own.

It turns out that the weather can impact how often you need to refresh that manicure! Colder temperatures bring less blood flow to the hands, which stunts nail growth.

For those who live in warmer climates, you may not notice as big of a difference between seasons, but those folks who have drastic changes between summer and winter won't be surprised by this weird fact about the human body!

When a person becomes pregnant, their body automatically starts building a place for the baby to grow. The placenta provides nutrients and oxygen to the child and it removes harmful waste, but it is also the only transient organ that can be found in the human body. Once the pregnancy is done, it detaches and is discarded.

Turns out the phrase "in the blink of an eye" has an actual measurement! The orbicularis oculi muscle, which sits around your eye socket, can snap your eye shut in less than 100 milliseconds! This makes it the fastest muscle in the human body.

Contrary to popular belief, this so-called vestigial organ is the place where your body stores good bacteria that aids in proper gut health. Health experts note that "after intense diarrhea, the appendix repopulates and reboots the intestine with good bacteria before harmful bacteria finds a home there."

Without the appendix, an individual will tend to take longer to recover from these types of illnesses.

It is a disgusting and weird fact about the human body, but almost all adults play host to little creatures on their faces. Officially called Demodex mites, these eyelash dwellers have eight legs like a spider and they eat the oils and dead skin cells in and around your hair follicles.

They live for about two weeks and during this time, they eat, mate, and lay eggs so that more of these little vermin can spend time on your face. Running to the sink to scrub your face? Don't worry - as long as the population of these pests stays low, there is no treatment necessary.

That's right! We are the only animals with this facial feature. What makes this one of the more crazy facts about the human body is that scientists don't know why this is. All of our ape ancestors are probably stroking their chins wondering why they lack this striking attribute. Guess we are not a chimp off the old block!

Think you need to do a few upgrades to your figure? No worries! Your skeleton "completely regenerates - or remodels - itself about every 10 years." How cool is that? The old bone is resorbed and replaced with new tissue.

Of course, you need to supply your body with the right supplies to make this happen, so make sure to include ample calcium and Vitamin D in your diet, otherwise osteoporosis can occur over time.

When you consider the fact that the circumference of the Earth is only 24,901 miles, our bodies are suddenly quite impressive! It is these blood vessels that keep our blood flowing throughout our bodies and supply oxygen and nutrients to our organs.

While it's not always dinner table conversation, funny facts about the human body can be a great icebreaker over drinks or while waiting for what seems like forever for your doctor's appointment! Weird facts can boggle your mind, even when it comes to your own body.