Random Fact of the Day

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songbyrdsweet
songbyrdsweet Posts: 5,691 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So in my physiology class, my teacher sometimes will have cool answers to weird questions. I have picked up some odd factoids--some are related to health, others are just related to how our bodies work. I have decided to pick one cool, weird thing to share with you guys every day, or as often as I pick them up hehe :smile: Plus it's late and I can't sleep! :tongue:

Okay, Factoid #1:

Why do we pee our pants when we're scared?

In order to prepare for a fight or flight response, we immediately use all expendable ATP to produce a TON of energy right away. Part of that ATP comes from our bladder sphincter, which controls urine flow. Without the ATP, the bladder sphincter releases, and we pee.

Tomorrow I'll post another one, hopefully less yuckie, but I thought this one was neat!

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  • songbyrdsweet
    songbyrdsweet Posts: 5,691 Member
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    So in my physiology class, my teacher sometimes will have cool answers to weird questions. I have picked up some odd factoids--some are related to health, others are just related to how our bodies work. I have decided to pick one cool, weird thing to share with you guys every day, or as often as I pick them up hehe :smile: Plus it's late and I can't sleep! :tongue:

    Okay, Factoid #1:

    Why do we pee our pants when we're scared?

    In order to prepare for a fight or flight response, we immediately use all expendable ATP to produce a TON of energy right away. Part of that ATP comes from our bladder sphincter, which controls urine flow. Without the ATP, the bladder sphincter releases, and we pee.

    Tomorrow I'll post another one, hopefully less yuckie, but I thought this one was neat!
  • vickster82
    vickster82 Posts: 108
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    thats awesome! i miss my biochem classes. learned way more than i ever wanted to know about ATP!
  • walnut
    walnut Posts: 216 Member
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    Wow, interesting! I thought it was to drop extra weight so as to run faster. I like your answer better, it makes more sense. If it was only to help you run faster with a lighter load, how could anyone prove that?

    Is that also why you sometimes feel like you're going to throw up when you get really nervous? And feel like you have to pee, I guess too.
  • songbyrdsweet
    songbyrdsweet Posts: 5,691 Member
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    Wow, interesting! I thought it was to drop extra weight so as to run faster. I like your answer better, it makes more sense. If it was only to help you run faster with a lighter load, how could anyone prove that?

    Is that also why you sometimes feel like you're going to throw up when you get really nervous? And feel like you have to pee, I guess too.

    Hm, I'm not sure. I'll have to ask that!

    I do have another throw-up related fact for today though!

    Factoid #2: Why do we throw up when we drink too much alcohol?

    Empendymal cells are a layer of tightly-packed cells that cover the central nervous system. They have closed junctions, meaning there are no spaces between the cells to allow anything through; this is called the Blood-Brain Barrier. However, alcohol molecules are sooooooo tiny that they can actually squeeze through the cell membranes and into the deepest centers of our brain. Because this is a BIG problem, our BBB deals with it by sending signals for us to vomit out whatever we just ate (or drank in this case) that can enter through the blood-brain barrier. The problem isn't totally solved, but it usually prevents the alcohol from getting so far in that it shuts us down completely.
  • Anna_Banana
    Anna_Banana Posts: 2,939 Member
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    So in my physiology class, my teacher sometimes will have cool answers to weird questions. I have picked up some odd factoids--some are related to health, others are just related to how our bodies work. I have decided to pick one cool, weird thing to share with you guys every day, or as often as I pick them up hehe :smile: Plus it's late and I can't sleep! :tongue:

    Okay, Factoid #1:

    Why do we pee our pants when we're scared?

    In order to prepare for a fight or flight response, we immediately use all expendable ATP to produce a TON of energy right away. Part of that ATP comes from our bladder sphincter, which controls urine flow. Without the ATP, the bladder sphincter releases, and we pee.

    Tomorrow I'll post another one, hopefully less yuckie, but I thought this one was neat!

    Okay, so why do I pee when I sneeze?:bigsmile: Too many babies damaging all that I guess.
  • yoginimary
    yoginimary Posts: 6,784 Member
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    Okay, so why do I pee when I sneeze?:bigsmile: Too many babies damaging all that I guess.

    It's a weakening of the muscles on the pelvic floor which happens as we age and have children - unless we tighten them back up. Kegel exercise should help this. Just google it.
  • NewMK08
    NewMK08 Posts: 399 Member
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    Wow, interesting! I thought it was to drop extra weight so as to run faster. I like your answer better, it makes more sense. If it was only to help you run faster with a lighter load, how could anyone prove that?

    Is that also why you sometimes feel like you're going to throw up when you get really nervous? And feel like you have to pee, I guess too.

    Hm, I'm not sure. I'll have to ask that!

    I do have another throw-up related fact for today though!

    Factoid #2: Why do we throw up when we drink too much alcohol?

    Empendymal cells are a layer of tightly-packed cells that cover the central nervous system. They have closed junctions, meaning there are no spaces between the cells to allow anything through; this is called the Blood-Brain Barrier. However, alcohol molecules are sooooooo tiny that they can actually squeeze through the cell membranes and into the deepest centers of our brain. Because this is a BIG problem, our BBB deals with it by sending signals for us to vomit out whatever we just ate (or drank in this case) that can enter through the blood-brain barrier. The problem isn't totally solved, but it usually prevents the alcohol from getting so far in that it shuts us down completely.

    Huh...So I should thank my body for the rare nights I've spent over the toilet after too much to drink. Good to know! :laugh:
  • Anna_Banana
    Anna_Banana Posts: 2,939 Member
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    Okay, so why do I pee when I sneeze?:bigsmile: Too many babies damaging all that I guess.

    It's a weakening of the muscles on the pelvic floor which happens as we age and have children - unless we tighten them back up. Kegel exercise should help this. Just google it.

    Yep. I do these all the time. I'm doing the right now:bigsmile:
  • arewethereyet
    arewethereyet Posts: 18,702 Member
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    I love these kinds of facts! keep em commin'!:flowerforyou:
  • songbyrdsweet
    songbyrdsweet Posts: 5,691 Member
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    Random Factoid #3:

    Why can little Grandma Sue pick up her Crown Vic to save her toy poodle FiFi from being crushed to death after a terrible car accident? (In other words: What causes the fight/flight strength increase?)

    When we are under stress, our cerebral cortex dumps acetylcholine onto the hypothalamus and into the sympathetic nervous system. This causes the release of epinephrin from the SNS and the release of beta-liptotropin from the adrenal glands. When these two are in high concentration in the body simultaneously, it allows us to recruit ALL muscle fibers, rather than the small % we'd normally use to pick something up. So we get 'superhuman' strength--although it's there all along.

    And a bonus: Why can't we use the superhuman strength whenever we want?

    If all your neurons became entirely uninhibited, if you were to try to pick up a piece of meat with a fork and bring it to your mouth, you'd do so with such force that you'd break the plate and stab yourself in the roof of your mouth. Your bicep's contraction could also break your humerus.

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