11 new things we learned about the human body in 2021

Despite the enormous knowledge already acquired about the human body, scientists are constantly researching it and obtaining new, often fascinating information. Here is a list of 11 such discoveries made this year.

1. Despite the global pandemic, scientists are not only dealing with the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus
2. The past year was full of discoveries important from the medical point of view
3. While the human body appears to be very well understood, researchers have made many groundbreaking findings. Found, among others new organ, it was examined how exactly the sperm moves. We also found out why our brains have shrunken through evolution
4. You can find more such stories on the TvoiLokony home page

A new organ in the human body

Scientists in Switzerland in December 2021 reported that they had discovered a part of the masseter muscle in the human jaw that was previously unknown. Researchers at the University of Basel described the third layer of the muscle which was named the pitted layer of the masseter muscle (masseter pars coronide muscle).

– We have studied the structure of the masseter muscle very comprehensively. It turned out that those who said that anatomists had looked everywhere in the last 100 years were wrong. It’s a bit like discovering a completely new species of animal – said Prof. Jens Christoph Türp.

What is the function of this organ? According to scientists, it helps to stabilize the lower jaw and allow it to move backwards.

The rest of the article under the video.

A spare pacemaker saves the heart

Scientists from the University of Manchester noticed that the so-called A backup subsidiary atrial pacemaker (SAP) can take control and steer contractions in the event of a failure of the organ’s main control system. The experiments were conducted on goats, but the human organ is very similar in structure.

“This research completely changes our understanding of how the heart works and is incredibly exciting. It is also the result of our earlier work on the human heart and we hope that it will contribute to the development of better therapies – commented its author Dr. Halina Dobrzynski.

A pleiad of unknown structures in cells

It turns out that the knowledge that can be found in biology textbooks on the structure of the cell is just an introduction to a yet unknown world. Researchers at the University of California – San Diego say they found at least seventy new structures in just one type of cell derived from the kidneys. In addition, this is the result of a small, pilot project, so expect more discoveries. It is true that these are not such complex and stable structures as, for example, a cellular nucleus or mitochondria, but they are complex structures with a unique structure. As an example, researchers give a previously unobserved cluster of proteins that interact with RNA (molecules involved in the action of genetic material). The authors of the discovery managed to make it by combining two techniques – modern microscopy and artificial intelligence.

Eye cell atlas

A team from the Singapore-based Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A * STAR) has unveiled the first cellular map of the human eye made to one cell accuracy. Researchers have also described genes involved in the development of this organ, as well as responsible for the formation of certain diseases.

– It is fascinating to observe cellular communication by signaling molecules and receptors. This will help to understand how individual cells respond to external factors, such as an injury, said one of the authors of the study, Dr Pradeep Gautam. For example, scientists have already shown which cells have SARS-CoV2 receptors on their surface. They also pointed to a potential way to culture glaucoma-damaged cells in the laboratory.

Sperm swim with the head

As it turns out, and as experts from Cornell University have shown, sperm does not simply flow straight to the target, but changes their swimming style depending on the situation.

At first they move as straight as he shot, and when they approach the egg, they begin to circulate under the influence of calcium ions. This helps them find the egg.

The discovery could help improve in vitro fertilization techniques, animal reproduction and the design of microscopic floating robots.

– By understanding what influences the sperm navigation mechanism, biophysical and biochemical signals directing them to the egg, we will be able to better help couples with fertility disorders and choose the best strategies for in vitro fertilization – emphasizes the author of the discovery, Prof. Alirez Abbaspourrad.

1. You can find a wide variety of fertility tests at Medonet Market

An adult uses as much energy per weight as a newborn

The human body is a complex device that, like other systems, needs energy to function. Scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, after testing over 6,5 thousand. people aged 8 days to 95 years showed how human energy consumption changes with entering the next stages of life.

It turns out that in terms of weight, the energy expenditure right after birth is similar to that of adulthood. It grows rapidly in childhood, but declines in adolescence. In adulthood it remains more or less constant, only to start to decline again around the age of 60. This is an important new insight into human metabolism that can help you develop better health maintenance strategies based on your age.

The sense of smell warns of danger

According to specialists from the Karolinska Institute, unpleasant odors are processed by the human brain much faster than those we enjoy. What’s more, we then subconsciously move away from the source of the smell. The Swedish group was able to spot this thanks to a new method that allowed them to observe the brain activity of volunteers while they tested different scents.

– Until now, it was considered that the human response to avoid odors associated with a hazard is a conscious process. However, our study showed for the first time that she is unconscious and extremely fast, says Dr. Behzad Iravani, one of the scientists. In just 33 milliseconds, the olfactory cortex in the brain reacts to odors and immediately sends a signal to the centers of movement.

During sleep, the brain organizes information

With the help of magnetic resonance imaging, electroencephalography and artificial intelligence, a group of researchers from the University of Geneva decoded the brain activity of dreamers. Scientists have noticed that the human brain processes information gathered during the day while sleeping. For example, it turned out that the hippocampus, which stores temporary memory traces, transmits signals to other structures in the cerebral cortex.

Scientists have noticed something else. Well, the observed volunteers previously played a computer game. As it turned out, the brain mainly processed those situations in which the person won. This indicates that positive emotions help remember.

1. See also: Half of Poles suffer from sleep disorders. Why is this happening?

The human embryo revealed new secrets to scientists

A team from Oxford University analyzed a key phase in the development of a human embryo – gastrulation. This is the time when stem cells begin to decide which organ they will form in the near future. Due to ethical limitations in research, the process was only relatively well understood in animals. The researchers used an embryo from an interrupted pregnancy, donated in a special procedure, for experiments. Using the RNA sequencing technique, they checked which genes were active in over a thousand individual cells. The map created in this way shows which cell of a few weeks old embryo will form a given organ.

While the previously known mouse model turned out to be accurate, a new study showed differences. For example, in mice, the nervous system is already formed at the same stage, and in humans, not yet. This particular discovery could lead, for example, to the extension of the time allowed for examining human embryos, which is currently 14 days. According to experts, the acquired knowledge will, however, lead to numerous new discoveries.

Human childbirth couldn’t be easier

Experts from the University of Texas at Austin proved that the woman’s body has evolved to achieve an almost perfect balance between supporting childbirth and protecting internal organs. The larger the size of the pelvis and genital tract, the easier the delivery, but the worse the protection of the abdominal organs.

According to current theories, if childbirth were easier for a woman, her abdominal organs would suffer. Austin researchers proved this for the first time with the help of computer models used in engineering. Larger sizes of the pelvis and genital tract would even require additional bones and tissues, the researchers said. Moreover, a larger pelvis, even with a wider birth canal, would require more labor force than man is able to generate, and this would lead to numerous complications.

Social development has reduced the human brain

Although man has an exceptionally large brain, about 3 years ago it decreased (we have smaller brains than our Pleistocene ancestors). The team at Boston University says it’s the product of an increasingly organized community. They allowed for the distribution of knowledge and skills between individual people, and thus a large brain became less needed. Meanwhile, it is an organ that expends large amounts of energy, which the body can save with a smaller brain.

The researchers came to their conclusions by combining the analysis of almost a thousand remains of ancient humans and knowledge about the physiology of ants. They did so because these insects also create efficient social structures.

Ant and human communities are very different and have evolved in different ways. However, ants share important features of social life with humans, such as group decision making, division of labor, and the production of their own food (agriculture). These similarities could tell a lot about what could have changed the size of the human brain, says co-author of the finding Dr James Traniello.

This may interest you:

1. Who can live to be 100 years old? Scientists checked
2. What does our growth depend on? Fascinating discoveries of scientists
3. An epidemic of a forgotten disease. The discovery of the Pole saved millions

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