YOUR AMAZING BODY
How much do you know about your amazing body? You are more remarkable than you ever imagined!
And some of these amazing answers will help you live longer and age more slowly.
15 INTERESTING FACTS AND RESEARCH PERSPECTIVES IN DAILY PARTS
YOUR AMAZING BODY NO. 1
What percentage of your DNA do you share with a banana?
Humans share about 50% of their DNA with bananas.
Your DNA is about:
- 99.5% the same as any other human
- 97% the same as a chimpanzee
- 90% the same as a cat (our common ancestor lived about 90 million years ago)
Other approximate comparisons:
- 82% DNA similarity to dogs
- 80% to cows
- 69% with rats (although some humans seem even more similar!)
- 67% with mice
- 60% with a fruit fly (Drosophila)
- 60% with a chicken
Your DNA is vulnerable to excess free radical damage (oxidation), which accumulates with age. Free radical damage occurs during normal metabolic processes, but is made worse by long-term inflammation accumulating in tissues as we age and by exposure to cigarette smoke, city pollution and industrial chemicals.
Damaged DNA leads to cells dividing out of control – the start point of cancer. A range of antioxidants in your diet can limit this damage. Fruits and vegetables, Omega-3 oils, and the spice-derived curcumin are important sources of antioxidants.
If you are ever tempted to say, “I don’t feel human today”, – you are right. Some 50% of the cells that make humans aren’t “human” in origin. They mostly originated from viruses, fungi, and bacteria. Indeed, it is bacteria in the stomach and gut that produce the chemicals that enable us to harness energy and nutrients from our food.