Body Systems
Your body is pretty amazing. At any given point you have many biological processes going on -- circulatory, digestive, brain & central nervous systems and more. Learn about these body systems as well as the eye, ears, nose and throat.
Ever Stand Up and Get Dizzy?
How White Matter Helps the Brain's Gray Matter Function
Bruce Willis Has Aphasia. What Is It and What Causes It?
The True Story of the Blue People of Kentucky
What Is the Rarest Blood Type in the World?
What Does It Mean If Your Blood Oxygen Level Is Low?
What Is Saliva and How Does It Change the Taste of Food?
The World's Longest Poop Story Is a Crock of, Well ...
When You Have to Go But Don't Want People to Know
Does Oxytocin Make Us Fall in Love?
5 Ways Homeostasis Keeps Your Body Humming Along
Is It Possible to Get Taller as an Adult?
Do You Have One of the 6 Rarest Eye Colors in the World?
Why Do Babies' Eyes Change Color?
There Are 6 Different Eye Shapes. Which One Is Yours?
'Man Flu' Could Be a Real Thing
Sugars in Human Breast Milk Act as Antibacterial Agents
Does mouthwash affect your immune system?
Kidney Stones Are Excruciating, But the Source of Pain Is Surprising
Why Do We Do a Little Dance When We Have to Pee?
Do You Turn the Door Key and Have to Pee? It May Be All in Your Brain
The Lymph System
What is lymph?
How One Key Protein May Help Tendons Enhance Athletic Performance
What Are Muscle 'Knots' and How Do You Get Rid of Them?
Children Can Regrow Their Fingertips. How Cool Is That?
What Happens When the Wind Is Knocked Out of You?
The Science Behind Why We All Have Snot
Why Breathing Through Your Nose Is Best
Learn More / Page 4
A swish of mouthwash after brushing makes our mouths feel fresh and clean. But some scientists think your mouthwash could be hurting your immune system. Is there something sinister lurking in your oral care routine?
Everybody poops, and everybody passes gas. And guess what? Neither smell good. We'll explain why.
Your mom always told you not to pick them, but you really have no idea why. So what's up with the nasty, snotty invaders camping out in your nose?
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You're at cruising altitude, on your way (finally) to your vacation destination, when you realize that your bloated feeling is about transform into an assault on your seat mates. Why does this always seem to happen?
Research shows that getting measles leaves you vulnerable to other infectious diseases until your body rebuilds its immunity, and that can take several years.
Sneezing at the wrong moment can be downright dangerous - they've even been blamed for car accidents. But could stifling a sneeze be just as bad?
Of course we all know how to poop. But you might be missing out on a faster, healthier, more efficient way to do it.
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"Pee on it" has long been the advice for a jellyfish sting or even a regular cut if nothing else is available. But is this really the best advice?
Burping can be gross, but imagine the chaos if all of that gas built up and your stomach exploded. Could it happen?
It's not a common occurrence by any means, but for people with certain conditions, straining to poop can have deadly consequences.
Now and then, we all have to suppress nature's call, sometimes until it hurts. But could holding your pee for a long time have serious consequences?
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Everybody vomits on occasion, but often the urge comes at the most inopportune times. Wouldn't it be helpful if there was a way to suppress it?
The urge to sneeze can come upon you at the worst times - say during a funeral - but luckily there are ways to suppress it.
Accusing vegetarians of having smellier farts is pretty offensive. Do you need to know if you have any vegetarian guests for more than just menu planning?
According to the famed children's book "Everybody Poops," well, everybody poops. But does everyone poop every day? And what happens if you don't?
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Want to keep your body running like a well-oiled machine? Step aside, expensive shakes and supplements -- water's the thing your bod craves most.
Picking your nose isn't something we do in public. And chowing down on what we find in there isn't just frowned upon -- it's pretty gross. But what happens if you do eat your own boogers? Is it dangerous? Or can it actually be good for you?
When you have a cold or allergies, your life revolves around tissues. Your nose feels like a nonstop spigot of mucus (not your best look, by the way). Why do you constantly have to blow your nose -- and what's going on in your schnozz when you do?
Have you ever seen something so gross it made you want to puke? Or actually puke? Your caveman brain might be trying to protect you. Find out why nasty things make our stomachs churn.
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You're trapped in a quiet place and you feel a sneeze coming on. You try desperately to remember how to stop a sneeze, but it's too late -- ACHOO! Next time, try tickling the roof of your mouth with your tongue. Really!
Kids are pretty cute, right? Maybe not so much if you've ever watched one pick his nose and eat a booger - that chubby finger emerging with a treasure, quickly inspected and (ewww) shoved right into his mouth. Why do they do this?
Are you getting too up close and personal with your TV? Your eyes might think so.
If someone told you that oodles of arachnids are jumping (and mating) on your eyelashes, you might be inclined to laugh it off. But it's true. Mites are happily living all over your face. What are they doing there anyway?
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You probably don't give much thought to eye boogers, except maybe when you wipe them away. But you're about to learn a lot more about them (and while you're reading, you'll probably check your eyes for crud a few times).
The average person passes a good amount of gas - in the form of burps and farts - every day. Some foods, as you're surely aware, can increase this amount quite a bit. Why do some foods cause more internal turbulence than others?