Friday, April 18, 2014

Creation Moment 4/19/2014 - Know thyself

I will praise thee;
for I am fearfully and wonderfully made:
marvellous are thy works;
Psalm 139:14

"The human body is full of mysteries. Although our organs and systems have long been the subject of analysis and even dissection by eager researchers —  Here's a look at 10 parts of your body you may not have considered lately. 

Something in the knee
In November, Belgian researchers described for the first time a ligament in the human knee, termed the anterolateral ligament, or ALL. A French surgeon first postulated the existence of this ligament in 1879, but it hadn't been proved until now.

Dua's layer
In another surprising discovery of a new body part, researchers found a previously unknown layer in the human eye.
This thin, tough structure, dubbed Dua's layer after its discoverer, is just 15 microns, or one-millionth of a meter thick, and sits behind the cornea.

Extra ribs
People normally have 12 ribs on each side, but some people have an extra rib,....The additional rib is called a cervical rib, and is found in 0.05 to 3 percent of people,...

Ear-wiggling muscles
Cats, dogs and some lucky people are able to wiggle their ears, using a group of muscles called auriculares. This group includes the auricularis anterior, which draws the ear forward; the auricularis superior, which raises it; and the auricularis posterior, which pulls it backward.
Although we all have these muscles, it is thought that only some 15 percent of the population is able to use them to wiggle their ears.

The cuticles
Cuticles are the layer of hard skin at the bottom of the nails, where the nails and fingers meet. Underneath the cuticle, new nails are forming. Almost invisible, these little body parts prevent bacteria and dirt from entering the body.

The floating hyoid bone
Found only in humans, the hyoid bone is the only bone in the body that is not connected to any other, and is the foundation of speech.
This horseshoe-shaped bone in the throat is situated between the chin and the thyroid cartilage. Because of its location, the bone works with the larynx (voice box) and tongue to produce the range of human vocalizations.

The tailbone
The tailbone, or the coccyx, forms from the fusion of vertebrae,....It has been suggested that the coccyx helps to anchor minor muscles and may support pelvic organs.

Vanishing bones
The human skeletal system is full of wonders. Consider this: Adults have fewer bones than a baby. We start life with 350 bones, but because some bones fuse together during growth, we end up with only 206 as adults.

Regenerating stomach
...one could argue that we get a new stomach every three to four days. That's because the lining of our stomach is continually replaced by new cells. In fact, the stomach constantly builds new layers so that the organ doesn't get digested by its own acid.

The philtrum
The philtrum, also called medial cleft, is the vertical groove in the middle area of the upper lip.... scientists are still interested in this little body part because it is formed during specific embryonic ages, and an unusual form of the upper lip area is a clue to disruptions during the development of the fetus. Variations in the philtrum have been studied in certain diseases and is even linked to autism spectrum disorders." LiveScience