Here are a few questions about our weird and wonderful body that maybe you don’t know – or at least haven’t read since high school biology class. See how well you score.
1. Vocalization is not the only responsibility of the larynx. In which of these functions does the larynx also play a role? Hearing; Swallowing; Chewing; Digestion.
2. Where is the thyroid gland located? In the brain; The base of the neck; Behind the stomach; Just below the liver.
3. Which part of the body does NOT contain lymph nodes? Knees, Feet; Neck; Armpits.
4. What is the correct name for your big toe? Hallux; Pollex; Tetrapod; Phalanges.
5. What is the function of the duodenum? Responsible for the breakdown of food in the small intestine; Controls how the body uses energy; Aids in fat digestion and concentrates bile produced by the liver; Regulates blood sugar.
6. What makes your feet smell? Poor hygiene; Wearing tight socks; Bacteria; All of the above.
7. Now on to lovelier things. True or False: The average person blinks his or her eyes about 11,500 times per day and about 4.2 million times per year.
8. What is the meaning of Dacryphilia? The process known as blinking: Sneezing multiple times in a row; The arousal of seeing tears in the eyes of a partner; The processing of viewed information.
9. When something is giving you a bit of a headache, and you consequently put your head in your hands to maybe rub your temples, you might be able to feel an deep throbbing in that area. What is the artery you most likely feel pumping? Subclavian Artery; External Carotid; Anterior Temporal; Superclavian Artery.
10. Where on your body would you find your philtrum? Inside your lower lip; Under your nose; on the tips of your fingers; behind your knee.
ANSWERS
1. Swallowing. The larynx closes off the trachea (the “wind pipe”) to help keep anything from entering into the lungs. 2. It straddles the windpipe at the base of the neck. 3. Feet. Lymph nodes provide one of the most important defense mechanisms for the body. 4. Hallux, meaning great or big toe, is the name for your big toe. Although it’s called the big toe, it’s not necessarily the longest toe on your foot. The second toe is longer on people with a certain gene. Birds also have a hallux – the backward facing claw that allows them to grip on branches and perches. 5. Responsible for the breakdown of food in the small intestine. 6. With the millions of sweat glands in our feet, when our feet sweat, bacteria that naturally occur on the skin eat the sweat, and their excretion is what causes that distinctive foot odor. 7. True. 8. The arousal of seeing tears in the eyes of a partner. 9. The temporal arteries are the major arteries in the top of your head that then branch off into many other smaller arteries. 10. Your philtrum is that medial depression that lies under your nose and runs to your upper lip. It is a vestigial feature that originally helped moisture run from the mouth to the nose pad. A wet nose pad catches more dust and dirt than a dry nose pad. The philtrum can be seen on most mammals as an indentation between the nostrils, and still serves its original function.