Tiny Mites Live in Your Eyelashes
It's weird and slightly disturbing to think about -- but many people have teeny tiny little mites living in their eyelashes. These microscopic creatures are long and narrow. They live in the hair follicles and pores of your face, and particularly love eyelashes, where they feed on oils and dead skin cells. Gross!
Only 10% of Your Cells are Human
It's staggering to believe that only 1 in 10 of the cells in your body are human. So what are the other cells? They are made up of the incredible 90 trillion microbes that live on you or in you! They consist of bacteria and viruses, along with other micro-organisms. And it turns out that many of them play a vital role in keeping you healthy.
You Make Enough Saliva to Fill 2 Swimming Pools in Your Life
Talk about drooling! Your body produces an amazing 2 to 4 pints of saliva per day. Over a lifetime that's about 2 swimming pools worth -- not that you would want to swim in it.
Stomach Acid Can Dissolve Razor Blades Slide
Your stomach is full of acid. That's how it begins digesting the food you eat. But did you know that this acid is so strong that it can dissolve razor blades? It's been proven in the lab -- but don't try this at home!
Feet Can Sweat Over A Pint Per Day
Each of your feet is capable of producing more than a pint of sweat per day. No wonder so many people have stinky feet! Each foot has at least 250,000 sweat glands. But the sweat itself isn't at all smelly. The bad odor is caused by bacteria on the skin that thrive in sweaty conditions.
You Swallow About a Quart of Snot Each Day
What kid hasn't picked their nose and eaten it? But it turns out there's no need to pick your boogers after all. You naturally swallow about a quart of nasal mucus per day. Yuck!
[h=2]Stinky Stones Can Grow in Your Tonsils[/h] It's surprisingly common for people to grow strange stones in their tonsils. They're called tonsoliths -- or tonsil stones. The stones grow when bacteria, mucus, and dead cells get trapped within pockets in the tonsils. And although the tonsil stones aren't particularly harmful, they may cause a sore throat -- and contribute to bad breath.
[h=2]Sneezes Travel More Than 30 Miles Per Hour[/h] It's commonly believed that a sneeze propels mucus from your body at 100 mph, landing it 30 feet away. The 'Mythbusters' set out to test this myth -- and busted it. But what they found was still pretty gross! Adam's sneezed at 35 mph landing it 17 feet away, compared to Jamie's 39 mph, 13 foot sneeze. That's definitely still enough to spread thousands of germs through the air -- so make sure you cover that sneeze, especially if you've got a cold or the flu!
[h=2]The Average Person Farts 14 Times Per Day[/h] Believe it or not, everyone farts. And most people fart around 14 times per day. That can add up to between 1 and 3 pints of gas per day. Stinky!
[h=2]You Are Hairier Than a Gorilla[/h] It might surprise you to know that most people have about 5 million hair follicles on their bodies. That's 3 times as many as a gorilla. The difference is that humans have far more fine hairs than great apes do.
[h=2]You Shed Over 8 Pounds of Skin Each Year Slide [/h] Shedding is more commonly associated with animals, but just check out these gross human shedding facts:
- Between 30,000 - 40,000 of your skin cells fall off per hour
- You shed over 8 pounds of dead skin per year
- Trillions of dust mites live in your house and eat all that dead skin
[h=2]Humans Shed 50 to 100 Hairs Per Day[/h] It's not just skin that we shed. Before you worry too much about your hair loss, consider this -- it's normal for people to lose between 50 to 100 hairs per day!
[h=2]There Are Different Types of Ear Wax[/h] The type of ear wax you have is genetically determined. Wet ear wax (yellow to dark brown and wet) is dominant. Dry ear wax (gray and flaky) is recessive. The dry type is more prevalent amongst Asians and Native Americans. The wet type is more common in African and European people. Who knew?
[h=2]There are 60,000 Miles of Blood Vessels in Your Body[/h] Are you squeamish about the sight of blood? If so, then you probably don't want to know that there are around 60,000 miles of blood vessels that transport blood throughout your body. If you were able to stretch those blood vessels out -- that's far enough for them to go from New York City to San Francisco 23 times.
[h=2]Fresh Urine is Cleaner Than Water[/h] Believe it or not, your pee is cleaner than saliva, the skin on your face, and even tap water. That's because healthy urine is sterile until it comes into contact with bacteria. However, it quickly becomes unsterile after it leaves the body. And don't think about drinking it -- it can upset the balance of salt and nitrogen in the body.