Some parts of our body get more credit than others. Read up on the fascinating bits you've never considered. Uvula Nobody pays much attention to that dangly little thing in the back of the throat, except perhaps some comic animators. Some theories suggest that the uvula—which is fully developed only in humans—helped our ancestors speak or drink while bending over a watering hole for prehistoric refreshment. But its most obvious purpose involves quickly secreting large amounts of saliva (over a lifetime, the average person produces enough to fill two swimming pools). The uvula may also be associated with snoring; according to an Italian study, people who snored had significantly fewer nerve fibers in their uvula than their non-snoring counterparts. Eyebrows Though the hairy strips are especially useful for communicating those “say what?” moments, their main purpose is to protect our eyes from debris, water, and sun. Eyebrows are also a crucial factor in face recognition. When volunteers in an MIT study were asked to identify photos of 50 famous faces with their eyes digitally removed, they could recognize the individuals 60 percent of the time. When the faces lacked eyebrows, however, participants could only ID them 46 percent of the time. In other words, eyebrows are incredibly important for facial recognition . Armpit hair This often-unwelcome hair is thought to diffuse the body’s natural smells to help attract a mate. (In fact, women are subtly more attracted to a man's body scent after they eat these foods.) Armpit fuzz grows above sweat glands that produce your individual scent, which might have lured cavemen neighbors back in ancient times. Today, however, it’s typical for women to shave away these sexual signalers. Data from Proctor & Gamble shows that even 29 percent of American men and 49 percent of British men trim or groom below the neck to avoid any Neanderthal resemblance. Men's nipples Surprise! Everybody starts off as a woman in the womb. For 60 days, all embryos follow the same genetic activity, until testosterone changes the course of action for those with a Y chromosome. Men’s nipples are the remaining, non-functional product of those first two months. Not everyone’s a fan: In a recent Huffington Post Japan poll of 750 adult women, over 84 percent thought it was unacceptable for men’s nipples to show under shirts. This attitude may explain the country’s booming trade for “shields” that disguise the genetic leftovers. (The color of your nipples may help you find the perfect lipstick shade, though.) Tonsils If you’ve ever inspected a sore throat, you’ve likely noticed the spongy, almond-shaped tissue toward the back of the mouth looking slightly swollen, red, or laden with white spots. As part of the lymphatic system, tonsils defend the body from infections that enter through the nose and mouth. But they can also become infected themselves when overloaded with bacteria or viruses. Since they’re just one component of the body’s powerful defenses, tonsils can be removed if they contribute to chronic sickness or breathing problems. However, today's doctors are more conservative when recommending surgery to control infection: About 500,000 procedures are performed annually today in the United States, compared to more than 1 million per year in the 1970s. (By the way, if you have bad breath, you may want to check out your tonsils.) Fingernails Other than helping to boost the economy (U.S. nail polish sales reached $768 million in 2012, reported WWD), fingernails help highlight a key difference between primates and other mammals. Most mammals have claws—our nails are just a flattened version. Where our ancestors used fingernails to grasp fruit and branches, today, we use them to snatch little things like coins or paper. Fingernails may also serve as a window to our health: Discoloration or small pits can signal trouble like malnutrition or certain skin conditions. Source
