Human Body Facts for Kids
Surprising facts about your body
Newborn babies can recognise their mother's voice from birth, having listened to it from inside the womb during the last few months of pregnancy.
Swallowing involves the coordinated action of over 30 muscles and is so complex that your breathing automatically pauses each time you do it.
Your brain releases a hormone called melatonin when it gets dark, signalling to your body that it is time to sleep.
Wisdom teeth are a third set of molars that many people no longer have room for — they are thought to be evolutionary leftovers from when humans ate tougher food.
The rumbling sound your stomach makes is called borborygmi — it is caused by gas and fluids moving through your intestines, not just when you are hungry.
It is possible to live a normal life with just one lung — the remaining lung gradually expands slightly to compensate for the missing one.
Everyone has a blind spot in each eye where the optic nerve connects to the retina — your brain fills in the gap so you do not normally notice it.
Sweat itself is almost odourless — body odour is actually caused by bacteria living on your skin breaking down the sweat into smelly compounds.
Your little finger (pinky) contributes about 33% of your hand's gripping strength — more than you might expect from such a small digit.
Your salivary glands produce about one litre of saliva every day, which helps to moisten food, begin digestion, and protect your teeth from bacteria.