Amazing facts
121
Many germs are not
harmful, but some cause
illness, and even death.
Bacteria are so small
that a thousand could
fit on the head of a pin.
The world’s most
common disease is
the common cold.
Cancer happens when
your own cells multiply
out of control.
When you recover from
an infectious disease, your
body becomes immune to it.
The most babies born to one
mother was 69. Most were
twins, triplets, or quads.
The first quintuplets
known to have survived
infancy were born in 1934.
You will make enough
urine in your lifetime
to fill 500 baths.
Asparagus can turn your
urine green. Blackberries
can turn it red.
Fighting disease
Germs are always trying
to get inside you, but
your body fights back.
Urinary system
Urine gets rid of
chemicals that your
body doesn’t need.
The fastest-growing
part of a baby’s
body is its head.
A girl is about three-
quarters of her adult
height at 7 years old.
Growth
As you grow you slowly
change into an adult,
but it takes a long time!
Reproduction
The reproductive organs
create new people from
tiny specks of matter.
The food you eat in
a year weighs as
much as a car.
You make enough spit
in your lifetime to fill
two swimming pools.
Your digestive glands
start working as soon
as you smell or see food.
Your tongue senses five
tastes: salty, sweet, sour,
bitter, and savoury.
The smell of poo comes
from a chemical called
skatole.
Digestive
system
Digestion turns
food into simple
chemicals
that your
body can
make into
new cells or
use for fuel.
Each hair on your head
grows for about 3 or 4
years and then falls out.
A new one grows in
its place.
A boy is about three-
quarters of his adult
height at 9 years old.
