27 June 2020- Science in Our Veins

1. That's sharp.

Six elements account for 99 percent of the mass of the human body: oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, calcium, and phosphorus. The human body contains enough carbon for 9,000 pencils. Imagine how much that is! Only about 0.85% is composed of another five elements: potassium, sulphur, sodium, chlorine, and magnesium. All 11 are necessary for life. The remaining elements are trace elements, of which more than a dozen are thought on the basis of good evidence to be necessary for life. All of the mass of the trace elements put together (less than 10 grams for a human body) do not add up to the body mass of magnesium, the least common of the 11 non-trace elements.

2. Going out with a flash.

Over the next 5 billion years or so, the sun will grow steadily brighter as the hydrogen at its core gets used up, creating increased internal pressure and thus increased fuel conversion to helium. In 1.1 billion years, the planet could start to look like Venus. Eventually, the Sun will run out of hydrogen fuel and collapse. Imagine what would happen if the sun collapsed and we would be living in the dark all day. The only light we get is the moon.

3.H20? More like Help 2 Obliviate!

We all know that not drinking water will eventually kill you. But I bet you didn't know that drinking too much water will kill you as well. It is possible to die from drinking too much water. Water intoxication and hyponatremia result when a dehydrated person drinks too much water without the accompanying electrolytes. 

4. We're mostly bacteria

People say that we only get bacteria if we are dirty and do not look after ourselves. But did you know that you are bacteria?

Scientists have estimated that about 95 percent of all the cells in the body are bacteria. The vast majority of these microbes can be found within the digestive tract. 

That's it for today. Until next time, stay curious, and stay sciencey!