Human Body Trivia

1. The scientific term for a real smile is named after which nineteenth century French neurologist?

From Quiz Your Smiling Face

Answer: Guillaume Duchenne

The Duchenne smile is named after French neurologist Guillaume Duchenne and is characterised by the activation of the zygomatic major muscle (which lifts the corners of the mouth) and the orbicularis oculi muscle (which raises the cheeks and crinkles the eyes). It's considered a genuine smile because it involves both voluntary and involuntary muscle movements. Non-Duchenne smiles are not necessarily fake, as there are many reasons that a person may not smile ranging from embarrassment to cultural norms. "Peace begins with a smile." - Mother Teresa

From Quiz The Pathophysiology of Getting Older

Answer: Fasting serum glucose level

Diabetes mellitus, in its simplest terms, is high blood sugar which causes metabolic disorders and major health deficits. These include complications from heart disease, strokes, diabetic retinopathy (irreversible eyesight failure), all of which can end in blindness, kidney failure, and possible amputations from poor limb blood flow. There are two types: Type I and Type II. In Type I, which is normally diagnosed soon after birth, a lack of insulin means additional insulin must be given, for a lifelong period, by injection to keep blood glucose (sugar) levels within the acceptable range. Type II is more insidious: It is characterised by increased "insulin resistance" frequently caused by obesity, and occurs as we get older. This type of diabetes is treated by oral medication but often large scale lifestyle changes are required: better diet, more exercise, less alcohol, less stress. As obesity rates rise in the western world, we are on the verge of a diabetes epidemic. Just as we saw the effects of a lifetime of smoking on older people in the late 20th century where people died prematurely of blood and cardiac related problems, the 21st century will be characterised by premature disease in the not-so-old due to obesity-related diabetes . As we entered the 21st century,, we moved from a hospital based health care system that treated diseases, through a paradigm shift where prevention became the main theme. We are living longer but at what price? Our sedentary lifestyle means we suffer chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension earlier and, as we live longer we have a longer period of decreased quality of life as we contract chronic diseases earlier than our forebears but paradoxically, live longer. Diabetes Mellitus is easily diagnosed. We have a simple blood glucose test after we have fasted overnight. If the levels are above normal, we then take a Glucose tolerance test which means we drink a liquid with a prescribed amount of glucose and monitor the blood glucose levels over the next two hours. In diabetics, the blood glucose levels will not drop as readily as those in unaffected people. People with DM can monitor their diabetic control compliance by measuring their glycosylated haemoglobin. Acute diabetics can monitor their glucose levels by taking finger prick specimens and placing the specimen in a portable instrument to give an instantaneous glucose reading.

From Quiz Just the Best, From the Chest

Answer: They are not directly connected to the sternum

The false ribs are those located below the level of the sternum, connected to it either via only a common, diagonal strip of cartilage (for the 8th, 9th and 10th ribs) or not at all (for the 11th and 12th, also called floating ribs). The seven fixed ribs all have direct, short, cartilage connections to the sternum.

From Quiz Fingernails Have Feelings Too You Know

Answer: Proteins

Keratin belongs to a biological group of fibrous structural proteins. Proteins are molecules that comprise chains of amino acid residue - and the thigh bone's connected to the hip bone if we continued in this way. Not only are our nails made from keratin, but also our hair, and, believe it or not, part of our tongue and hard palate as well. Tongues are revolting looking things when you consider them. I must do a quiz on them one day. Keratin is also found in wool, horns, claws, hooves, feathers, beaks and turtle shells. That's amazing isn't it?

From Quiz The Human Riddle

Answer: hyoid

The hyoid bone is a bone that has a horseshoe shape. It lies between the chin and the thyroid cartilage. It is supported by muscles and assists in the movement of the tongue as well as in swallowing. This bone is an irregular bone which has a body and two pairs of horns. The hyoid allows for a wider range of the tongue and variation in the production of sounds. This bone is not easily fractured in adults and so a fractured hyoid would indicate that the victim was either throttled or strangled, i.e. murdered.

From Quiz That Was Easy

Answer: 4

The four chambers of the human heart are the right and left atrium and the right and left ventricle. The ventricles pump blood to the rest of the body and the atria receive blood pumped back into the heart.

From Quiz 'The Five Finger Discount'

Answer: Ring finger

You will recognize the link to medicine and some sources say this is become physicians in ancient times used the fourth finger to apply ointments. The little finger is called the digitus minimus, the index finger is the digitus secundus and the middle finger is known as the digitus medius or tertius.

From Quiz Basic Anatomy For Beginners

Answer: Femur

The femur is the largest bone in the body. It helps support your weight and it takes a great deal of force to fracture or break it.

From Quiz Really Just a Pretty Face

Answer: Female-Pattern Baldness

Women's hair thins pretty evenly all over the head. We're just lucky we don't need to resort to the dreaded comb over.

From Quiz Body Parts with Silly Names

Answer: cauda equina

"Cauda equina" means horse tail - I know lots of people who resemble a horse's behind, but the image of a horse's tail sticking out makes me laugh. I made up the rest of the answers.

From Quiz Your Smiling Face

Answer: Endorphins

Smiling has been shown to release endorphins, the body's natural feel-good hormones, which can reduce stress and boost your mood. Endorphins are created in your pituitary gland and hypothalamus, both located in the brain. Endorphins act as painkillers and also produce a sense of well-being, happiness, and euphoria. "A smile is a facelift that's in everyone's price range!" ​- Tom Wilson

From Quiz Where on the Body Am I?

Answer: Where a unibrow might meet

The glabella is the part of the skin in between the eyebrows and above the nose. It is that part where a unibrow would meet. The term also refers to the bone in the same spot that is slightly depressed. The word comes from the Latin word glabellus meaning smooth or hairless.

From Quiz The Pathophysiology of Getting Older

Answer: Haemoglobin

The most common blood tests ordered are Urea and Electrolytes, and Complete Blood Count (CBC). These are general non-specific tests that are good screens for checking body systems. The CBC checks all the blood cells parameters such as red and white blood cells and platelets. Haemoglobin is the protein on red blood cells which carries the oxygen to the individual cells and it is this displacement of the oxygen at the cellular level that gives each cell its energy. A symptom of low haemoglobin is increased tiredness. Those people with low haemoglobin may require a blood transfusion to replace their haemoglobin, but it is important to understand what has caused the anaemia and to treat the underlying cause.

From Quiz Just the Best, From the Chest

Answer: The abdomen

The diaphragm marks the boundary between the thorax (chest cavity) and the abdomen (belly cavity). It stretches across the entire width of the body and has only a small number of passages - in fact, apart from some blood vessels, the only major structure passing through it is the esophagus. The spine does not pass through the thoracic cavity or diaphragm at all - it runs completely behind it.

From Quiz Fingernails Have Feelings Too You Know

Answer: The tissue underneath the nail

The matrix is a very sensitive area that the nail covers and protects like a helmet. It contains nerves, blood vessels and lymphatic fluid, and is located underneath the base of the nail where it first protrudes from the skin. In a type of co-dependency relationship with the nail, its job is to produce cells that become the nail, which then shows its gratitude in return by standing guard over it. The rest of the area underneath the nail is known as the nail bed.

From Quiz The Human Riddle

Answer: cerebrum

The cerebrum is the largest part of the brain. It consists of two hemispheres of nerve tissue on each side of the head. All conscious activities are controlled by the cerebrum. Memory, perception, problem solving and thinking take place in man's highly developed cerebrum. The frontal lobe is considered to be the most important lobe in terms of personality and intelligence. It has been discovered by scientists that the two halves of the cerebrum have specializations. Usually, the right hemisphere relates to the left side of the body while the left hemisphere relates to the right side of the body. Also, the right hemisphere seems to determine one's ability to appreciate the aesthetics and while the left hemisphere takes responsibility for math, logic and language. Interestingly, in cases where there is brain damage to the left hemisphere in early childhood the right hemisphere will take over the speech function.

From Quiz That Was Easy

Answer: Lobes

The left lung is smaller than the right lung because it has to share space with the heart. The right lung is made up of three lobes: superior, middle and inferior. The smaller left lung is only made up of two lobes: superior and inferior.

From Quiz Basic Anatomy For Beginners

Answer: Ureter

The ureters are narrow 'tubes' which drain the urine from the kidneys and transport it to the bladder.

From Quiz Body Parts with Silly Names

Answer: brain

It really resembles a traffic roundabout - I wonder if the red blood cells have as much trouble merging and getting off on the right exit as I do?

From Quiz Your Smiling Face

Answer: Smiling increases emotional well-being

Research has shown that smiling can boost your mood and reduce stress levels, as well as make a person feel more confident and approachable. Additionally, smiling can also have a positive impact on others, making them feel happier and more relaxed. "Count your age by friends, not years. Count your life by smiles, not tears." - John Lennon

From Quiz Where on the Body Am I?

Answer: Fingernail

The lunula is the little white-looking, crescent-moon shaped, bottom part of the fingernail (or toenail too.) It is a very delicate part of the nail structure and if it is damaged, the entire nail could become deformed. If the nail is removed, the lunula is still there, looking like a small nail left behind in the nail bed. The lunula shows up on fetuses at about the fourteen week gestation point.

From Quiz Just the Best, From the Chest

Answer: A connection between the space outside the lungs and open air

A pneumothorax is diagnosed when air can freely enter the area outside the lungs in the chest. As the lungs themselves are passive and do not contain muscle tissue, this prevents the breathing movements from inflating the lungs and can quickly lead to suffocation. An affected lung can collapse entirely, requiring mechanical ventilation. First aid for a pneumothorax patient consists of sealing the wound to restore the natural function.

From Quiz Fingernails Have Feelings Too You Know

Answer: The nail will be permanently deformed

While part of the nail, the lunula could be said to be a separate structure, because, if the nail is somehow suddenly removed, the lunula will still remain in place. It is located on top of the matrix, but underneath the nail. In a way it's like another tiny fingernail. If that lunula is damaged in any way though, the nail which grows from it will be permanently misshapen. It isn't really white either, but only appears that way when viewed from the top. The word lunula means small moon. Not everyone has visible lunulae but that is perfectly normal. I don't have them, but I think that is because they all fell off last night.

From Quiz The Human Riddle

Answer: malleus

As sound waves entering the ear stikes the tympanic membrane (eardrum) it vibrates and the vibration is conducted to the malleus (hammer) which is a tiny hammer-shaped bone in the middle ear. The malleus is connected to the incus (anvil) by a joint. As the malleus vibrates it strikes against the incus which in turn passes the vibration to the stapes or stirrup. This causes vibration in the inner cavity and nerve impulses are set up that go to the part of the cerebrum that deals with the sense of hearing and are interpreted as sound.

From Quiz That Was Easy

Answer: Optic

There are 12 pairs of cranial nerves and the optic nerve is also known as cranial nerve II. Cranial nerves are numbered based on their location. The cranial nerve is located at the back of the eye.

From Quiz Basic Anatomy For Beginners

Answer: Capillaries

Capillaries are the vessels which directly transfer oxygen and waste products between the blood and the body's tissues.

From Quiz Your Smiling Face

Answer: Genuine smiles involve both the mouth and the eyes, while fake smiles involve only the mouth

Genuine smiles involve both the mouth and the eyes, while fake smiles involve only the mouth. A genuine smile, also known as a Duchenne smile, involves the activation of both the zygomatic major muscle (which extends from the cheekbone to the corner of the mouth) and the orbicularis oculi muscle (the muscle which closes the eyelids), while a fake smile involves only the zygomatic major muscle, creating a smile that is limited to the mouth. It is often easier to distinguish between the two by looking at the eyes. "A smile is the best way to get away with trouble even if it's a fake one." - Masashi Kishimoto

From Quiz Where on the Body Am I?

Answer: Ear

The stapedius muscle is just over one millimeter in length! It's located in the ear and it functions to stabilize the stirrup bone. Despite its tiny size, it has a pretty important job. It serves to curb the volume of sound waves from the external environment to the inner ear.

From Quiz The Pathophysiology of Getting Older

Answer: The blood flow in the arteries of the heart is slowed or stopped causing part of the heart to die

"Myo-" is a prefix meaning muscle. "Cardial" means of the heart Infarction is tissue death caused by a reduction or stoppage in blood flow. These artery blockages are due to mechanical compression, rupture, or vasoconstriction. The first two are usually caused by injury, the latter by disease. Therefore myocardial infarction means death of cardiac muscle (due, usually in people, as they age, to hardening of the arteries as the arteries that give the heart its own blood flow (the coronary arteries) restrict blood flow. Hence the heart itself has such an insufficient capacity, that part of the heart muscle dies. This is accompanied with severe crushing pain. Mortality due to MI decreased dramatically towards the end of the 20th century as the effects of cessation of smoking became apparent. Unfortunately increased obesity levels are causing MI rates to rise again. Regardless of smoking status or obesity, some vasoconstriction of the coronary arteries does occur, (usually with some cholesterol derivative) which reduces fitness and aerobic capacity over time. Now you know why you need to have your cholesterol levels checked regularly as you get older.

From Quiz Fingernails Have Feelings Too You Know

Answer: At the very root of the nail

The sinus of each nail lies at its very root, underneath the skin where it can't be seen, and just on top of that same area of the nail's matrix. Nails are turning out to be far more interesting than I thought. Its official nail is the sinus unguis, and its purpose is to more or less house that very root of the nail.

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Last Updated Nov 16 2024 5:44 AM

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