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How Your Appendix Works
Does the appendix serve any purpose in the human body? Scientists are divided on the issue -- learn why.
ANATOMY & PHYSIOLOGY
Explore the structures and functions of the human body in these articles about human anatomy and physiology.
Stuff You Should Know
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How Blood WorksWhen you cut yourself accidentally, do you ever wonder what makes up this thing we call blood? It's pretty amazing stuff, considering how it wards off infections while supplying nutrients to every cell in the human body. See more »
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How Body Odor Works
In the history of humankind, body odor has been both a smell used to remember a loved one and a turn-off in social circles. What causes our bodies to smell the way they do? See more »
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How Bones Work
If you didn't have bones, you'd be puddled on the floor like a jellyfish with skin -- and your ability to impress people on the dancefloor would be severely compromised. What else are skeletons for, besides decorating your house for Halloween? See more »
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How Calories Work
Calories -- people are constantly counting them and cutting them. At any given time, millions of people are trying to slim down. Learn all about calories and exactly how (and why) they affect your weight. See more »
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How can someone be born with organs outside the body?
It happens more often than you may think. Sometimes a baby is born with organs outside of his or her body and has a slim chance of survival. What causes this? See more »
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How can someone die from drinking too much water?
Most of us think of water as the healthiest drink in the world. But in abnormal amounts, it can actually cause death. How can a liquid you need to stay alive end up killing you? See more »
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How Colorblindness Works
Roses are red, violets are blue -- well, bluish. The sky is blue, too. Grass is green. These are things that most of us know for a fact and don't question. But what if you were colorblind? What would you see? Is life one long black-and-white movie? See more »
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How does death by hanging work?
Hanging, when carried out with modern techniques, can be one of the quickest and most painless ways to be executed. But not all hangings are designed to be quick and painless. See more »
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How does the body make electricity -- and how does it use it?
Everything we do is controlled and enabled by electrical signals running through our bodies. But how are those signals produced, and what happens when your electrical system breaks down? See more »
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How does the sense of smell work?
What causes smell? When I walk into a bakery, I smell the bread. What actually has happened? Do objects give off pieces of matter? What has entered my nose to cause the sensation of smell? See more »
