Human Body Facts for Kids
Surprising facts about your body
The pituitary gland — about the size of a pea — is often called the master gland because it controls the activity of most other hormone-secreting glands.
Cartilage is a tough, flexible tissue found in joints, ears, and the nose — it acts as a shock absorber and allows smooth movement between bones.
Your skull is made up of 22 separate bones that fuse together during childhood, forming a strong protective case around your brain.
Humans can hear sounds with frequencies between roughly 20 Hz and 20,000 Hz — but children generally hear higher-pitched sounds better than adults.
The left hemisphere of your brain controls the right side of your body and the right hemisphere controls the left side — the two sides are connected by a thick bundle of nerve fibres.
Blood becomes bright red when it picks up oxygen in the lungs and turns a darker, more purplish red after delivering that oxygen to the body's cells.
Your thumb has its own pulse because a major artery runs very close to the skin at its base — which is why doctors use other fingers to take a patient's pulse.
Scientists believe yawning may help cool down the brain — the rush of cool air drawn in helps regulate brain temperature when it overheats.
The heart can continue to beat even when removed from the body, as long as it has a supply of oxygen — it generates its own electrical impulses.
The lymphatic system is a network of vessels that drains excess fluid from body tissues and plays a vital role in immune defence.