Interesting Things You Didn't Know About The Female Body

There are actually many proven differences between men and women. Many people think of these in terms of behavior, but there are also many interesting ways women’s bodies react. Following are some of the most surprising facts about the female body.

Some Women See More Colors

The gene that allows for the perception of the color red is found on the X chromosome. When women have a mutation of this gene on one of their chromosomes, it enhances one’s ability to see a wide spectrum of hues of this color. This is believed to have developed as a way to distinguish between insects, berries and foliage, but the modern woman usually uses it when buying sundresses.

Women Use Twice As Much Brain Power

Scientists at the Indiana University School of Medicine used MRIs to monitor the brain activity of men and women listening to passages from a novel. The brain activity of men appeared almost exclusively on the left side of the brain associated with speech and listening, but women also showed activity on the right side of the brain associated with creativity.

Estrogen Affects Dental Health
Surges in estrogen can cause gums to swell, and this can increase a woman’s chances of developing gingivitis. It is important for pregnant women to have dental exams and cleanings as frequently as every three months. Estrogen also makes dry sockets more likely, so women needing extractions should schedule them during the last week of the menstrual cycle for the lowest estrogen levels.

The Female Face Photographs Better
Women have skin that starts to age faster at middle age, but men still tend to look older in general. This is due to the fact that women usually have more supple skin along with the fact that men constantly shave and apply aftershave. Higher levels of testosterone also tend to make skin look oily.

Women Are More Wary
Carnegie Mellon researchers have evidence that aversion to dangerous (or just creepy) creatures may be stronger in females from the time of birth. They showed infants photos of spiders and human beings. Female babies tended to spend more time looking at people compared to looking at spiders, but male babies spent an equal time on both. The theory is that women evolved to be more wary of dangerous creatures in order to better protect their children.

There’s a Reason Women Need Their Own Bathrooms
The lower portion of the colon (known as the sigmoid) is often longer in women. Combine this with the reproductive organs of the female, and it results in more digestive components tucked in a smaller space. The system of a woman has less room to expand when plagued by excess gas or food, so females are more likely to experience gastrointestinal distress.

Free Waxing?
The hair “down there” tends to remove itself after a little less than a month. This is nothing compared to hair on the head that can last for as long as seven years.

Intuition in the Nose
Researchers have shown that women of childbearing age can pick up familiar scents even at very low levels. Women can also tell when their partner is feeling stressed out just by sniffing their shirt.

Cancel That Drinking Competition
Women produce less of the enzyme that breaks down ethanol in the stomach. When drinking the same amount of alcohol as men, women have a higher blood alcohol level even when controlling size differences. There is also less water to dilute the alcohol, and this makes the negative effects much stronger.

You’re Not Overly-Emotional… Your Body Is
Adult females cry around 5.3 times per month compared to the 1.4 times for men. It has been shown that women have tear glands that are built differently to those of men, and this allows women to cry more easily. The hormone prolactin regulates the development of tear glands, and women have up to 50 percent more of it by the age of 18.

The Pain Threshold
When men and women suffer from the same health conditions, women actually suffer more. It has been shown that women feel pain more intensely than men. The solace is that high levels of estrogen can trigger the body’s ability to reduce pain, but it can produce a more intense response whenever estrogen levels drop.