The smallest skeletal muscle in the human body is the stapedius in the middle ear. It’s 5 millimetres long and thinner than a piece of cotton thread. Every second, 2 million blood cells die – the same amount that is regenerated afresh simultaneously. The surface area of the human lung is equivalent to that of a tennis court. Our body is a miracle – with undiscovered potential.
Seven billion people currently live on planet earth. Every single person is unique, but we all have one thing in common: Our body. Many of its processes and cycles are known to us. Many interactions, however, such as those between neuronal activity and the body, are more mysterious than ever before. The more we learn, the more we come to realise just how little we understand. The mere facts alone are breathtaking.
Incredible Facts
Every day, our heart pumps several thousand litres of blood through our body. In a single drop of blood there are more than five million red blood cells, 300.000 blood platelets and 10.000 white blood cells. Our brain is made up of over 100 billion neurons. Our body is comprised of up to one hundred billion cells – that’s a number with 14 zeros after the 1. If you were to place the capillaries of the lung all in a row, they would stretch out for 1.600 Kilometres. That’s further than the distance between Rome and Berlin.
Even More Potential
The astonishing thing is: We can have an impact on our body right down to the cellular level. Because how we live changes our body – and this goes far beyond eating healthily and exercising. We know this: a single glance can take our hormonal balance to boiling point, can increase our blood pressure, expand our pupils and set loose feelings of joy. We call this love at first sight. No physical contact, no medicine is required for this to happen. Exactly the same is true of our health. It is to be found within us all, as is the knowledge required to keep healthy. This spans all the way from our somatic cells to our thoughts – and back again. Herein lies a fascinating insight: The miracle that is humankind, and the potential that we can create from it lies in our own hands. And that is good news.
