Mental Floss

THE BODY

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It's that little organ you may have forgotten about.

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Check yourself before you wreck yourself.

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They're more than just a place to dab polish.

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They call it the interstitium.

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It's your body's largest organ.

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Our bodies contain up to 100,000 miles of blood vessels.

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Sure, it's a titillating subject—but it's also a pretty versatile body part.

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This self-soothing behavior is actually a pretty effective technique for temporarily calming pain signals to the brain. Here's how it works.

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It's the thinnest part of the skull … which is why Maori warriors crafted a special weapon to crush it.

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Its developers hope it sparks the next generation of total artificial hearts.

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The pelvis is not actually a single body part, but a term that refers to a collection of bones, muscles and organs below the waist.

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This mysterious little body part is a surprising source of controversy among researchers.

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2. Hot testicles can cause health and fertility problems.

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Smoking can cause breasts to droop, but breastfeeding doesn't.

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Though you might not often think about them, lymph nodes are crucial for your immune system.

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At its largest point, the sciatic nerve is about as big around as a man's thumb—plenty big enough to be an important part of the nervous system.

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Let's go for the jugular.

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It's not your sweat that stinks.

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Did you know opposable thumbs may have played a role in the development of language?

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Without this crucial joint, many daily activities would be impossible.