I know that, personally, my heart weighs more than my stomach, and that my liver weighs more than my brain. The gut bacteria in my intestine weigh more than all three!
If my red blood cells were stretched end to end, they would get me 58% of the way to the moon.
I also know that I have an amount of potassium in my body equal to 374 bananas, and enough chlorine to clean an Olympic swimming pool. Speaking of swimming pools, I have produced enough blood cells in my lifetime up until now to fill 30 Olympic swimming pools.
My personal DNA is equivalent to 800 MB, and the amount of precious metals and elements needed to duplicate me would be $2,304. I even know how many atoms are contained in my body!
How do I know all of this?
BBC Earth has a free, digital interactive that requires no signup or personal info called “The Making of Me and You” where you can input your vital statistics (height, weight, age), and you can learn how much your organs weigh, how many cells your body contains, and other fun facts like how much solid waste you’ve produced in your lifetime and how many times your heart has beat so far. You can learn how many times you’ve replaced your cells, how much air you can move with your lungs, how many of each type of cell you’re carrying, and much, much more!
For a really interesting talking point, try the free digital interactive and learn more about your own body. Everyone, young and old, will love comparing who has the most red blood cells, or whose skin weighs the most!
