North York Central Library Blog

In his poem I Sing the Body Electric, Walt Whitman writes, “If anything is sacred, the human body is sacred.”  This is definitely an often quoted and deeply affecting line of poetry, but, was good ol’ Walt talking about the biological mysteries of our anatomies?  Uh, probably unlikely. 

Scientists continue to discover extraordinary facts about the human body.  For instance, did you know that all the saliva we produce over our lifetime can fill two swimming pools?  That’s right.  Our mouths produce that much saliva in order to aid in digestion.  Mind you, I wouldn’t want to go swimming in either one of those pools, but, it’s still a pretty interesting fact. 

I bet our friend Walty didn’t know that we’re taller when we get out of bed in the morning than by the end of the day, and that the surface area of a human lung is equal to one side of a tennis court.  Lungs at Wimbledon score: deuce. 

With this line “cut like a razor blade”, Vanilla Ice sharpened the menacing nature of the razor blade.  But how menacing is it really, when it’s possible for our stomach acids to dissolve the blades?  (WARNING: DO NOT SWALLOW RAZOR BLADES!)

Exploding head syndrome and all, the human body is one fascinating topic of exploration.

Using humour and some personal experiences, The Well Dressed Ape: A Natural History of Myself by Hannah Holmes offers interesting facts and insight into the biology and behaviour of humans.  She demonstrates how humans are exceptional mammals, and how “we are, in some important ways (such as our senses of smell and of vision), pitiably inferior ones”.

The Biology of Human Survival: Life and Death in Extreme Environments by Claude A. Piantadosi  examines how our bodies adapt to heat, cold and the trials and tribulations of the environments that surround us.  This book provides facts about human survival when faced with difficult conditions, including weather, altitude and even stress.   

In her book, Don’t Die Young: An Anatomist’s Guide to your Organs and your Health, Dr. Alice Roberts writes, “Eight out of ten cases of heart disease, nine out of ten cases of acquired diabetes and three in ten cases of cancer could be avoided by diet and lifestyle changes”.  This and more, Dr. Roberts will teach you tidbits about our anatomies that will change the way you think about the human body. 

Find more facts from head to toe at the North York Central Library, 5th Floor, Science & Technology Department.