Exciting facts about human body

When we get on to the weighing scale what do we see? We learn how much our total weight is or what is the mass of our body. The weight is the general measurement but we do not get to know exactly the different components that contribute to this total weight or mass. so, let’s dig into the facts about human body.

What are the elements that our body is composed of and what are the facts about human body?

From our body weight, we get absolutely no idea of the composition of our body. More than ninety percent of our body is made up of elements carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen. These elements become components of major molecules of our body.

And minerals make up the remaining of our body weight such as calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, iron, sodium, potassium, etc.

Major molecules of our body

The major types of molecules our body is made up of are water, protein, fat, and carbohydrates as well as variations and combinations of the latter three molecule types. If water is removed from our body most of the remaining material about 80 % will be energy molecules such as protein, fat, and carbohydrate.

The molecules our body is made up of is similar to the molecules our food is made of. Maybe that is the reason for the famous quote “We are what we eat”, which forms the basis of the facts about human body.

If our energy needs are not met through the diet we consume, we can still carry on our bodily functions by breaking down our internal energy sources.

Theoretical contributors to bodyweight for a lean man and woman

Source: Wildman, R. (2009)

How much do the different tissues contribute to our weight?

according to the many facts about human body, the major contributing tissues are muscle and fat. In a lean man, 40-45 % of body weight is contributed by muscle. About 14-18 % of the bodyweight is contributed by fat. Muscle and fat make up half to two-thirds of the lean man’s body.

The bone may contribute about 8 % and skin about 2 % to the body weight. The rest of the bodyweight is composed of organs and tissue such as the heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, intestines, etc.

Changes in body weight

Changes in body weight are because of the change in body composition. By the facts about human body, body weight increases that means, gain in body fat. And when one loses weight usually it is decreased in body fat.

Sometimes if a person takes up exercise and does it regularly then there will be an increase in muscle component of the body. When such changes occur in fat or muscle components of the body there will be changes in supporting tissues such as bone and skin also.

In a study published by Rankin (2013) on facts about human body, it was concluded that consumption of a low-fat (20%-25% of energy), moderately high-protein (>1.2 g/kg and up to 20%-25% of energy) diet with modestly reduced energy (500-1000 kcal/d) combined with aerobic (3-5 days/week, at least 250 min/week) and resistance exercise (2 days/week) can improve body composition to reduce clinically relevant risks associated with obesity.

Therefore, it can be said that diet and exercise play an important role in contributing to our body composition and improvement of health.