CURIOSITIES OF MEDICINE

Did you know that the discovery of X-rays was accidental, or that the term X comes from the unknown, since it was not known what types of rays they were?

Like these, there are many more curiosities that we will see in this section. Here you will find from incredible anecdotes from medical history, to shocking facts about the functioning of the human body and the world of radiology. Get ready to learn and be amazed as you travel through a world where science and curiosity meet.

For the moment and to open your mouth, here are some of them medical curiosities that you may not have known and that will not leave you indifferent. Here they go:

15 medical curiosities that will surprise you:

1. The stomach regenerates every 4 days: If it did not, the gastric acids that break down the food would also destroy it completely.

2. The first anesthesia was an accident: In the 19th century, physicians discovered that ether eliminated pain while experimenting with its use at parties (yes, as a recreational drug!).

3. The human brain can generate enough electricity to light a light bulb: It is a real miniature power plant in constant operation.

4. Fingerprints also exist on the tongue: Believe it or not, every language is unique and can be used to identify people.

5. The human body glows in the dark: Although we do not perceive it, the body emits a small amount of visible light due to metabolic processes, but it is a thousand times weaker than what the human eye can detect.

6. The finger that reveals the pulse: In ancient times, Chinese physicians could diagnose diseases just by feeling the pulse in different parts of the body. This is credited as the basis of traditional Chinese medicine.

7. Antibiotics were discovered by accident: Alexander Fleming noticed in 1928 that a fungus in a bacterial culture had killed nearby bacteria. That fungus was Penicillium notatum.

8. The physician who initiated hand washing was ignored: Ignaz Semmelweis, in the 19th century, discovered that hand washing reduced infections in childbirth, but his colleagues rejected him and he died before his ideas were accepted.

9. Blood can "explode": If you bring blood into a vacuum environment, its internal gases can expand and rupture blood cells.

10. The largest cell in the body is the ovum: The smallest cell is the spermatozoon.

11. Your skin is completely renewed every month: Every 27 days, you have a "new" skin, thanks to the continuous process of cell regeneration.

12. Insulin comes from animals: Before synthetic insulin could be produced, it was obtained from the pancreas of cows and pigs to treat diabetes.

13. The human heart can continue beating outside the body: As long as it has an adequate supply of oxygen, the heart can continue to beat even if it is not connected to the rest of the body.

14. The doctor who tested his own vaccine: Edward Jenner, the father of vaccination, tested the first smallpox vaccine on an 8-year-old boy, but first infected himself to demonstrate its efficacy.

15. CT technology came from the Beatles: The invention of the CT scanner was financed in part by EMI, the same record company that recorded the Beatles' albums, thanks to the profits generated by the band.

Curious, isn't it?

Well, you can continue reading our articles about stories and interesting facts about medicine, so enjoy reading!

ARTICLES ON MEDICAL CURIOSITIES