Geek Out: Gifts With A Difference - With Apologies To Frederic Austin

Twelve bones protecting

12 thoracic vertebrae protecting the spinal cord

Eleven systems running

11 physiological systems, including respiratory, nervous, gastrointestinal, cardiovascular etc

Ten glands a weeping

This one’s a bit of a reach but humans have anywhere up to 5 accessory tear glands per eyelid, identified by a scientist Ciaccio.  These are in addition to the main tear producing glands (lacrimal glands) that we have, one for each eye – and if you got this, you should probably be writing this blog!

Nine belly boundaries

The abdomen is divided clinically into 9 areas, our appendix for e.g is typically located in the right iliac region whereas our spleen is found in the intriguingly named left hypochondriac region!

Eight muscles licking

Our tongue is way bigger than we realize and is made up of 8 muscles

Seven bones a hopping

The fore and mid foot is made up of 7 bones, the toes are really additions to the foot, so I’m ignoring them!

Six fats for storing,

We have 6 different types of fat including white, brown and essential fat which are used for everything from maintaining body temperature to energy storage

Five lobes to breathe

Typically, we have our right lung is divided into 3 lobes and our left lung into two, however, perfectly healthy people can have right lungs with two lobes and left with three lobes!

Four folds to groan

In our “voice box” (larynx) we have 4 folds, two are said to be the true vocal cords - the ones we use for almost all our sound production but there are also two false folds/cords that might play a role in low sound production (this is a bit of a stretch I know!)

Three hearing bones

Tiny middle ear bones, 3 per ear

Two pumping hearts

Our amazing heart is really two pumps, working synchronously – the right pumping to the lungs and the left pumping to the body

and a bladd-er so that I can pee

no explanation needed?