Skeptics Stack Exchange
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Questions tagged [physiology]

Human physiology is the science of the mechanical, physical, and biochemical functions of humans in good health, their organs, and the cells of which they are composed. The principal level of focus of physiology is at the level of organs and systems within systems.

Human physiology is the science of the mechanical, physical, and biochemical functions of humans in good health, their organs, and the cells of which they are composed. The principal level of focus of physiology is at the level of organs and systems within systems.

Physiology is closely related to anatomy; anatomy is the study of form, and physiology is the study of function. Due to the frequent connection between form and function physiology and anatomy are intrinsically linked and are studied in tandem as part of a medical curriculum.

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Can the body never lose fat cells?

There are various articles online quoting studies (or even loosely referring to "studies" without reference) claiming you can only gain fat cells but not loose them. Some examples include Calorielab.com: Fat Cells Shrink, But Don’t Die As well as…
Jeroen
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Could someone dig themselves out of a grave?

Some notable stories and movies show characters being buried alive, and then digging themselves out. This has apparently happened in reality, such as this story: Girl digs self out of grave, points to rapist. Is such a feat possible for what one…
Brian M. Hunt
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Are all cells of the human body completely replaced every seven to ten years?

It have heard several times that, every seven to ten years, all the cells that our body are made of have all been replaced. Example in this NY Times Article This heartening truth, which arises from the fact that most of the body's tissues are under…
Rabskatran
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Does your heart stop beating when you sneeze?

I read the following quote in a paper: When you sneeze, all your body functions temporarily stop working. That also includes you heart beat. There is of course no explanation, reason, source, or reference of any sort. Is this really true? I don't…
BaGi
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Are women's hands colder, and their hearts warmer?

I heard on the radio today that apparently a woman's hands are colder than a man's hands, but her heart is warmer. I didn't really believe this, but they stated that it was apparently scientifically proven, and what really astounded me was that they…
Thursagen
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Do specific exercises target specific fat deposits?

It is common to see marketing for exercise routines that claim to target fat deposits in a particular part of the body. Examples: 9 Moves to Beat Belly Fat for Good 8 moves to melt off that pesky layer of lower-belly fat Exercises to Target…
Flimzy
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Does sleeping naked in a sleeping bag keep you warmer?

The most popular question on outdoors.SE is Is it warmer to sleep naked in a sleeping bag? Now, all the answers over there are not properly researched and it was suggested in one of the comments that this question might be more appropriate for…
David Mulder
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Does diet affect the taste of semen?

After reading the latest explosm comic I realized that I often heard about this claim, but never read anything drawing from credible sources. Eating pineapples makes semen taste better. On the contrary beer is said to make it taste worse. Of…
Baarn
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Are bone conduction headphones safer with regards to hearing loss?

In this video, at about 1:35, a claim is made that bone conduction headphones are safer with regards to hearing loss, because the sound doesn't "affect the eardrum". Is that true? I thought hearing loss is caused by damage to the hair cells in the…
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Does drinking water upside-down help cure hiccups?

I was under the impression that drinking water upside-down worked for curing hiccups (when they worked) merely due to a placebo effect, or at the very least didn't work any better than just drinking water normally. In spite of this, many of my…
Alain
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Will a worm, cut in half, survive as two worms?

I have often heard the story that if you cut a worm in half in the middle, both halves of the worm will grow the other part back, and you will eventually end up with two worms. Is this true?
Ephraim
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Are one-hit knockouts possible?

After stumbling upon a video of a guy getting knocked down in one hit, I did some quick research and couldn't conclude if this is a myth or not. The video in itself is very a compelling evidence for fact. Often we see it used as a plot resource in…
cregox
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Does plucking/epilation impact hair growth?

I've recently encountered the idea that plucking an area of hair (say, with tweezers) causes the hair to grow back thicker/denser/stiffer etc. yet I remain skeptical. This concept is rampant with anecdotal evidence, mainly amongst those trying to…
eMansipater
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Do monkey bars make you taller?

My mom -- a doctor -- and my relatives seem to think that hanging off monkey bars make you taller as it "stretches" your spine. I seriously doubt if this is true, unless you hang off monkey bars 24/7. (Literally.) Is there any proof?
Mateen Ulhaq
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Is excessive use of chewing gum bad for you?

Chewing sugar-free gum is good for your teeth. But what about the rest of your body? Would constantly chewing gum have any negative effects? An argument I have heard is that the increased amounts of saliva in your mouth constantly signal to your…
u17
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