Top 10 Creepiest Human Biology Mysteries That Will Freak You Out
Top 10 Human Biology Mysteries That Will Freak You Out
Top 10 Unsolved Mysteries About the Human Body
The biggest mystery is ourselves! Welcome to WatchMojo and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the Top 10 Human Biology Mysteries That Will Freak You Out. For this list, we’ll be going over some of the mysteries that remain about the human body that you may find interesting and/or disturbing.
#10: Déjà Vu
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Most people have experienced the sensation that a new event or place they encounter is one they’ve somehow been through already at some point in their lives. Referred to as déjà vu, this sensation has yet to be fully explained by science. Neurologists have a number of theories, such as details of an experience sparking a memory that has been forgotten, or a misfiring of the neural pathways linked to memories. Notably, déjà vu seems to happen less frequently as we age, while those with epilepsy are especially susceptible to the sensation. Whether the answer is neurological, physiological or metaphysical, like a glitch in the Matrix, hopefully time will tell. #10: Déjà Vu Most people experience the sensation that a new event or place they encounter is one they’ve somehow been through already…wait a second…
#9: Blood Types
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Like many things inside our own bodies, our blood types are often something we don’t give much thought unless we need to, but even fewer of us have probably thought about why we have them in the first place! Essentially, blood types are just traits that evolved over time as we did. But the reasons why remain unknown. The prevailing theory is that they’re somehow linked to disease. Type O, for instance, is more common in Africa, where Malaria is more prevalent. Malaria is less likely to affect type O blood cells, allowing people with that type to be more likely to survive. Even so, this is just one idea, and the real cause could be unrelated.
#8: Weaker Than Apes
Humans share a lot in common with apes, from our basic shape, to a lot of the same DNA, in the case of chimpanzees. However, despite our similarities, apes are consistently stronger than we are, with greater arm and leg strength that lets them jump higher and lift more easily than even the strongest humans can. Most estimates suggest that they’re at least twice as strong as the average one of us. Some have suggested that it’s due to the density of their muscle fibers compared to ours. Others have suggested that humans have finer motor controls than apes – in other words, we control our output, whereas apes use everything they have all the time.
#7: Fingerprints
Everyone knows that all of our fingerprints are unique, but while their individual shapes have proven helpful in solving crimes, the mystery of why we have them at all remains an unsolved one. Although the initial theory among scientists was that the grooves on our fingertips aid in gripping things by creating friction, experiments have proven that this isn’t the case; at least for smoother objects, since the ridges actually allow less of the finger to contact an object. Other potential purposes for fingerprints include added protection or finger sensitivity, but as for anything more definite, well, the jury is still out.
#6: Crying
On a physiological level, tears are an obvious way to clear eyes of irritants. Something in your eye? Cry that gunk away! But while lots of animals have tears, so far as we know, only human beings’ tears are tied to our emotions. When we cry, it isn’t always a matter of cleanliness, but it can also be an expression of sadness or happiness. One of the most prominent theories is that weeping is linked to our interpretation of empathy – by crying, we display vulnerability, which elicits connection from others. But whether it’s an attempt to connect, or just a habit we’ve carry from infancy, the continuing mystery on “the why of cry” has us feeling sad.
#5: Microbes Inside
As you may or may not know, not all the cells in our bodies are, well, human. Our bodies are host to trillions of microorganisms, from viruses to bacteria. Although popular culture has inflated this number to being twice that of the human cells, it’s actually around even. Still, if half of us isn’t… us, what’s it all for exactly? While some of their functions, such as aiding in digestion and fighting harmful diseases, are known to us, we still don’t know what all of them do or how or why we achieved a symbiotic relationship with them.
#4: Appendixes
The human appendix is an organ that has long baffled scientists and medical professionals alike. Its very name practically means “afterthought.” For many years, the appendix was considered vestigial; a leftover organ that our evolution kept around, despite no apparent function, other than its propensity for disease and frequent need for removal. However, recently, this view has been reexamined. Some scientists have theorized that the appendix aids in digestion by acting as a safe place to store helpful bacteria in the gut. It may also be related to the immune response in the same area.
#3: Yawns
For as frequent as they are for everyone, we still know very little about why we yawn. Although it’s often linked to sleep, boredom, and watching other people or animals do it, the physiological and psychological causes for the behavior remain a matter of debate. Some believe that yawns are necessary influxes of oxygen when the body builds up too much carbon dioxide in the blood. Others believe it helps regulate brain temperature or affects the chemical balance in the brain. It may also be linked to the empathetic parts of our brains, which would explain why it seems contagious.
#2: Dominant Hands
Almost all people prefer to use one hand for tasks over the other. Even then, the vast majority are more capable with their right hands rather than their left. But why do we prefer one over the other at all? Surely utility with both is an advantage right? You’d think there’d be more ambidextrous people then. One of the most popular theories is that handedness is a result of where the speech center of the brain is located. However, others point to sociological and behavioral factors as well. But, alas, this is one mystery that might require “all hands on deck” to solve.
#1: Self-Consciousness
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The human mind is among the most perplexing parts of our bodies, and one of the biggest mysteries about it is the sense of self or consciousness. What determines our self? What part or parts of the brain create the individual consciousness that is you? Various parts of the cortex are thought to deal with our ability to reflect on ourselves. In addition, our ability to perceive our own bodies has also been narrowed down. The parts of the brain dealing with memory are also key to our sense of self. But is the self a combination of all these things or one alone? The best conscious minds are hard at work on the answer.
