40 GROSS BUT FASCINATING FACTS

Meet the Surinam toad mother that carries its babies on its back before they burst free

1 VOMITTING DISSOLVES TEETH

From tummy to toilet, what happens to our bodies when we spill our guts?

1 Signal

An area of the brain’s medulla oblongata known as the chemoreceptor trigger zone (CTZ) receives a warning that the contents of our stomach need to be evicted.

2 Preparation

To prepare the mouth and teeth for the incoming stomach acid – since it can wear away enamel and cause other damage – our salivary glands produce alkaline saliva for protection.

3 Pressure

Taking in a deep breath, the lungs inflate, causing the diaphragm to contract. This in turn increases the pressure applied to the stomach.

4 Prevention

Part of the larynx known as the glottis closes, preventing vomit from entering the lungs as it travels back up your oesophagus towards your mouth.

5 Contraction

In order for vomit to move upwards and out of your body your abdominal muscles contract and further increase pressure, and the sphincter at the base of the stomach closes so no vomit can travel downwards.

6 Sweating

As a result of the strenuous activity and stress of throwing up, your heart rate increases, raising your body temperature. To combat this sudden increase in temperature the body sweats to cool itself down.

3 MITES LIVE IN YOUR EYELASHES

The human body is a breeding ground for mites and bacteria. The majority, however, are harmless, even the ones in your eyelashes. Before you rush to the mirror to take a glimpse at the critters, they cannot be seen with the naked eye. Known as Demodex folliculorum, these microscopic face mites live in or around hair follicles, feeding on the dead skin cells and oil that has built up in the surrounding area. Typically causing no harm, in rare cases they may cause eye infections. Research has found that as we age the number of these tiny hitchhikers increases. As newborns humans are free from mite invasion. However, by the age of around 60 years, almost