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Why do men have bigger noses than women?
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Men’s noses are 10% larger than female's. Males generally have leaner muscles and need more oxygen for muscle growth and maintenance—and larger noses mean more oxygen can be breathed. A new study found that the difference in nose size between males and females of European descent starts showing in early puberty, when 95% of body weight gain in males comes from fat-free mass, compared to 85% in females.
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6474 |
duddy |
10 years ago |
Why do humans have chins?
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What sets Homo sapiens apart from other animals? Among other things, our chins do. That piece of bone sticking out from your jaw is somewhat of a mystery - one that's inspired a diversity of wild theories to explain its purpose, according to a paper published this month in Evolutionary Anthropology. The author of the paper dismisses a number of these explanations, such as the possibility that the chin serves as a sexual signal (such traits usually only appear in one sex - like the mane of a male lion). Another proposal is that the chin acts to protect your throat - an idea the paper's author also shoots down, because for this to be a substantial advantage, humans would have to be constantly punching each other in the face. So the mystery rem ...
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14014 |
duddy |
8 years ago |
Which animal has the densest fur, try to guess
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With up to one million hairs per square inch of its body, the sea otter has the densest fur in the animal kingdom. (To put this in perspective, you’ve probably only got 100,000 hairs or less on your whole head!) Together with a huge lung capacity, this makes these water-loving creatures extremely buoyant. The pups are born so buoyant, they're incapable of diving underwater, and are often left bobbing on the surface in a sea kelp bed while their mothers hunt for food nearby.
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10101 |
duddy |
10 years ago |
Where else are taste buds found in the body?
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Lungs have 'taste buds' which can detect bitter-tasting compounds, although aren't connected to the brain! The taste receptors in the lungs are the same as those in the mouth except they are not found in clusters and do not send any signals to the brain.
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6314 |
duddy |
9 years ago |
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4073 |
savio |
10 years ago |
We were born to fight
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The bones of the male human face evolved their shape to withstand fistfights, according to a recent scientific study.
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19147 |
duddy |
9 years ago |
Want to become a brain surgeon? Better get used to this
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Watch as a neurosurgeon opens up a patient's skull and clears the clotted blood from the surface of her brain. We probably don't have to tell you that this is extremely graphic footage, but - you've been warned.
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5398 |
duddy |
9 years ago |
Up-close view of a frog eye
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This is the semi-transparent eyelid of the red-eyed tree frog, Agalychnis Callidryas. Frogs aren't the only creatures with 'third eyelids' that keep their eyes moist without blocking vision completely. Sharks, cats, crocodiles, polar bears and camels have them too.
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15357 |
duddy |
9 years ago |
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2578 |
ehd123 |
8 years ago |
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4944 |
duddy |
10 years ago |
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4676 |
ehd123 |
9 years ago |
Surviving the Desert: Kangaroo Rats
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The harsh desert environment is known for its scorching temperatures and scarcity of water, making it a challenging place for most creatures to thrive. However, amidst this seemingly inhospitable landscape, the kangaroo rat stands out as a remarkable example of nature's ingenious adaptations. These small rodents have not only managed to survive but thrive in the desert with virtually no drinking water. The secret to their survival lies in their unique physiological features, particularly their kidneys' specialized structure. Generally, the majority of water reabsorption in the kidneys occurs in the loop of Henle (see illustration). This structure is responsible for the reabsorption of water and essential ions from the urine back into the bl ...
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1963 |
bio_man |
6 months ago |
Smallest bone in the body
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Take a good look at that tiny piece of art. It is the smallest bone in the body is called the stirrup (or stapes) bone. It is one of the three bones that make up the middle ear; measuring about 2-3 millimetres. It has a U-shape and is the inmost bone that collects sound vibrations and then passes them along to the cochlea for interpretation by the brain. ...
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5588 |
savio |
10 years ago |
Shock-absorbing goo found within bones
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A viscous fluid made out of citrate and water is what gives our bones flexibility. The gooey fluid is trapped between the tiny crystals of calcium phosphate that form our bones, absorbing shocks and allowing movement. Without this fluid the crystals fuse together and become less flexible and brittle.
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3028 |
duddy |
9 years ago |
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17484 |
ehd123 |
9 years ago |