Adventures in Human Being

How well do you know the landscape of your own body? Explore the extraordinary human anatomy like never before, from the face of emotions to the feet that shaped our evolution.

1. The Face as an Emotional Canvas

Our faces are the portraits of our lives, capable of expressing a rich spectrum of emotions. Beneath the skin lies a network of 43 muscles, allowing humans to communicate non-verbally in ways unmatched by other species. These muscles define our emotional expressions and leave traces of our laughter, sorrow, and love.

Facial dissections reveal stories of how people have lived. For example, well-developed zygomaticus muscles indicate frequent smiling, while pronounced frown muscles suggest years of sadness. These visible markers demonstrate how our emotional patterns leave a physical imprint even after death. Artists like Leonardo da Vinci embraced this human quality, incorporating it into his emotionally vivid paintings such as The Last Supper.

The unique ability of our faces to portray such a wide range of emotions sets humans apart. Unlike other primates whose expressions are limited, our facial anatomy contributes immensely to connection, empathy, and relationships.

Examples

• Dissected cadavers with strong cheek muscles indicated lives rich in laughter.
• Leonardo da Vinci studied faces through dissection, influencing works like The Last Supper.
• The human face can display subtleties like embarrassment or sympathy, emotions rare in animals.

2. The Placenta: A Symbol of Cultural Variation

The placenta, a temporary organ, holds immense cultural significance worldwide. Unlike most organs designed for a lifetime, the placenta serves for nine months and is then released. Its treatment highlights humanity's cultural and spiritual diversity.

Throughout history, many communities saw the placenta as more than just biological. In parts of Africa, placentas are buried under sacred trees to symbolize a child’s bond with the land. Indonesians view placentas as connected to aquatic origins, ceremonially floating them to the sea. In modern Western societies, placentas are cryogenically preserved for their potential in medical treatments like stem cell therapy.

The placenta reflects humanity’s creative and symbolic thinking, showing how biology intersects with beliefs and traditions across the globe.

Examples

• East African families bury placentas under trees representing the child's destiny.
• Some modern parents freeze placentas as a medical safeguard.
• Indonesians ceremonially release placentas to waterways, connecting them to nature.

3. Overlooked Strength: The Brain’s Adaptability

Our brain might seem delicate, but it is resilient and remarkably adaptable. Neurosurgeons regularly interact with its pliability during surgeries, giving patients new lives even after invasive procedures where parts of the brain are removed.

One case involved a woman with debilitating seizures caused by epilepsy. While conscious during surgery, her speech fluency was tested as specific brain areas were electrically isolated. Unnecessary sections were removed, allowing her seizures to end without losing cognitive abilities. Post-surgery, her brain adjusted, demonstrating how it compensates for missing functions.

This resilience shows how humans thrive despite challenges, underscoring that the brain’s flexibility plays a vital role in adapting and overcoming adversity.

Examples

• Neurosurgery patients report normal functioning despite brain tissue removal.
• Speech tests identify eloquent areas of the brain during epileptic surgeries.
• Surgeons witness patients adapting to brain changes within days.

4. The Heartbeat: A Symbol of Life and Stability

The rhythm of our beating hearts is both physically and emotionally profound. Its steady pulse symbolizes vitality, ensuring the flow of oxygen-rich blood while also being deeply tied to how we sense life itself.

Studies on heart bypass surgeries reveal how temporary heart stoppage can alter mental well-being. Patients report odd behaviors and sensations like cognitive disruptions post-heart surgery. This could be because bypass machines don’t mimic the rhythmic pulse of natural heartbeats, possibly affecting delicate human tissue. Loss of pulse, even artificially, creates a sense of unease.

The heartbeat is more than a biological pump—it’s a reminder of life’s rhythm, grounding both our physical and emotional states.

Examples

• A patient post-heart surgery experienced "swelling blackness," linked to brain changes.
• Machines circulating blood during heart repairs lack the natural pulsation.
• “Pump head” cognitive issues arise in patients without rhythmic blood flow.

5. Sexual Pleasure Beyond Reproduction

Our genitals are key players in what makes us human—our capacity for sexual desire and pleasure. The orgasm is a biological lightning storm of nerve stimulation, a sensory explosion that, in humans, is more than reproductive function.

While male orgasms predictably involve ejaculation, female orgasms have long puzzled science. They create a hospitable environment for sperm, improving chances of conception. However, they are not necessary for reproduction, spotlighting that humans pursue sexual pleasure for its own sake—separate from biological need. This reflects how human drives transcend survival instincts, shaping relationships and culture.

Examples

• Skene's glands produce fluids during female orgasm, aiding sperm movement.
• Early midwifery texts incorrectly claimed female orgasm was essential for pregnancy.
• Humans actively seek intimacy and pleasure beyond reproduction’s necessity.

6. The Kidney as a Symbol of Generosity

Kidneys are life-givers, both physically and metaphorically. Transplantation not only saves lives but symbolizes human compassion. Between strangers or family members, kidney donations reveal an unparalleled expression of altruism.

During transplantation, a gray, dormant kidney revives in seconds when connected to blood flow—a visual testament to life restored. Donor kidneys are often from living individuals, making their loss less life-threatening, unlike most other organ donations.

These acts of giving unconditionally embody the best of humanity, showcasing a uniquely human capacity for kindness.

Examples

• A teenager’s organs saved and improved several lives, including two kidney recipients.
• Half of kidney transplants now originate from healthy, living donors.
• Kidneys surviving outside the body for hours highlight modern medical miracles.

7. Walking on Two Feet: A Step Toward Humanity

The ability to walk upright is what made humans stand out—literally. Walking on two feet freed our hands and set the stage for tool usage, brain development, and eventually our dominance as a species.

Ancient prints found in Tanzania prove that bipedal walking predates our larger brains by millions of years. Australopithecus afarensis used its unique foot structure to maintain balance. This evolutionary moment marked the start of humans stepping into their role as sentient, tool-using beings.

Without bipedality, our upright stance, opposable thumbs, and brain growth may never have emerged.

Examples

• Fossilized footprints in East Africa, over 3.5 million years old, show early bipedalism.
• Freed hands due to upright walking catalyzed tool use in ancestors.
• The foot’s engineering maintains balance while carrying body weight.

8. The Brain-Emotion Link of the Face

The human face uniquely combines muscle precision with communication. Even minor expressions like a raised eyebrow or smirk hold significant meaning. This complexity ties emotional health to physical forms we showcase every day.

Human babies, for instance, instinctively read faces, building social bonds using this skill. In contrast, even great apes lack such emotional nuances. This facial ability not only evolved biologically but also culturally, influencing art and literature.

Examples

• Infants mirror caregiver facial movements to form bonds.
• Artists have always relied on human faces as emotional windows.
• Key expressions like smiles are nearly universally understood across all societies.

9. Evolutionary Significance of the Human Hand and Tools

The hand is humanity’s most versatile anatomical structure. From prehistoric tools to modern technology, its flexibility demonstrates human ingenuity and adaptability.

The opposable thumb enables gripping, sculpting, and imagining—a far more advanced motion set than any primate cousin can replicate. Humans’ tool-making transitioned them from survival-mode hunters to creators of art, influencing societies in profound ways.

Examples

• Early stone tools represent major leaps for ancient hominids’ lives.
• Fine control of hands lets humans draw, write, and create technology.
• Archaeologists attribute human expansions globally to our manipulative hand usage.

Takeaways

1. Reflect on how your body tells its own story—practice gratitude for its complexities and functions.
2. Embrace ways to preserve and share good health, whether through organ donation or healthier habits supporting vital systems.
3. Explore how physical traits like upright walking or emotional expressions influence personal and cultural identity.