Aging and Death

Some interesting Facts about Aging and Death

From the very young to the very old, aging is a necessary and unavoidable part of life. Learn about the process with these interesting, if somewhat strange facts.

1.      The ashes of a cremated person average about 9 pounds. A big part of what gives the human body weight is the water trapped in our cells. Once cremated, that water and a majority of our tissues are destroyed, leaving little behind.

2.      Nails and hair do not continue to grow after we die. They do appear longer when we die, however, as the skin dehydrates and pulls back from the nail beds and scalp.

3.      By the age of 60, most people will have lost about half their taste buds. Perhaps you shouldn't trust your grandma's cooking as much as you do. Older individuals tend to lose their ability to taste, and many find that they need much more intense flavoring in order to be able to fully appreciate a dish.

4.      Your eyes are always the same size from birth but your nose and ears never stop growing. When babies look up at you with those big eyes, they're the same size that they'll be carrying around in their bodies for the rest of their lives. Their ears and nose, however, will grow throughout their lives and research has shown that growth peaks in seven year cycles.

5.      By 60 years of age, 60-percent of men and 40-percent of women will snore. If you've ever been kept awake by a snoring loved one you know the sound can be deafening. Normal snores average around 60 decibels, the noise level of normal speech; intense snores can reach more than 80 decibels, the approximate level caused by a jackhammer breaking up concrete.

6.      A baby's head is one-quarter of its total length, but by age 25 will only be one-eighth of its total length. As it turns out, our adorably oversized baby heads won't change size as drastically as the rest of our body. The legs and torso will lengthen, but the head won't get much longer.