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Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Science Unfolding

Posted by on Tue, Jan 6, 2009 at 10:13 AM

Can this be true?

The intestinal mucosa forms the largest surface area of the human body. Unfolded, it would occupy approximately the area of a tennis court. It represents an interface between the body and the environment, and is therefore vulnerable to pathogens and worm infections...
A surface the size of a tennis court is inside of me? I must be reading this wrong.

 

Comments (11) RSS

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1
your mom's a mucosa
Posted by ha cha cha on January 6, 2009 at 10:23 AM
2
Of cock!
Posted by Colonel Horace Gentleman on January 6, 2009 at 10:26 AM
3
In our new post-slavery world according to Charles, where the Only slave experience was the Black American slave experience, Anything is true.
Posted by They're "voluntary servants" on January 6, 2009 at 10:27 AM
4
this would be difficult to play tennis on. even without the worms.
Posted by m@ on January 6, 2009 at 10:32 AM
5
Of course it's true. The vascular system has an even greater collective surface area, supposedly.
Posted by Yeek on January 6, 2009 at 10:36 AM
6
You have many surfaces the size of a tennis court (and larger) in your body. The surface of your lungs is one example. Your intestinal mucosa is another. These are very thin surfaces that are folded many, many times, and, if you were to spread them out, they'd take up a lot of space. Of course, they're also too thin to see if you spread them out, and they are certainly too delicate to lay out on a tennis court. Essentially, you can't unfold them.

However, the surface area is important: a large surface area makes it possible to absorb an enormous amount of nutrients in your intestine and to absorb a lot of oxygen across your lungs.
Posted by Enuja on January 6, 2009 at 10:37 AM
7
In your case, Chuck, from the amount of shit you produce, I would imagine that your intestinal mucosa must be much larger than any tennis court... think football field...
Posted by You_Gotta_Be_Kidding_Me on January 6, 2009 at 11:07 AM
8
You'll never know until you try.
Posted by NapoleonXIV on January 6, 2009 at 11:33 AM
9
I have heard that the mucosa of the nose on most people has Anthrax bacteria. The mucosa protects us.
Posted by Vince on January 6, 2009 at 11:38 AM
10
Wow Charles, you get more and more special every day!
Posted by z girl on January 6, 2009 at 11:43 AM
11
And this, folks, is the state of science education in the United States today.
Posted by breklor on January 6, 2009 at 1:35 PM

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