10 Terrifying Places in the Human Body You Don’t Want to Think About

Regardless of what anyone says, the human body is a magical wonder of biology that continues to amaze people. But it also harbors some nightmares and horror stories that no one really thinks about. 

From dark, hidden corners where parasites lurk to the organs where bacteria thrive and strange things, the truth is that you don’t really know your body.

Here are 10 horrifying places inside you that will make you a little uneasy – and scared.

1. The Horror Movie Happening in Your Belly Button:

When was the last time you gave your belly button a good wash? Well, I’m sure you will do that more often once you learn what happens there. While you think of the small space as an unimportant body part, the belly button is actually home to thousands of species. The most surprising thing? Most of these organisms don’t even exist anywhere else on Earth.

Scientists have found an ecosystem inside our belly button, including bacteria that was only seen in deep-sea vents. So where did these bacteria gather from, and what are they there for? No one knows.

2. The Zombie Cells in Your Body:

Turns out the word ‘zombie’ was formed because of the senescent cells that lurk inside our bodies. In various parts of your body, there are cells that refuse to die and be excreted out, but also stop functioning properly.

Scientists call them zombie cells because they sit there, doing nothing except to accelerate the aging process, cause inflammation, and increase the risk of diseases. How much more can a film-based zombie do?

In fact, there is a conspiracy theory that these zombie cells can be linked to cancer, and honestly; it’s hard to doubt it.

3. The Secret Storage in Your Fat Cells:

If you thought those fat cells in your body were only made up of muscle, then you are wrong. Those heaps of body tissue are sitting there silently hoarding dangerous chemicals, including toxins like pesticides and heavy metals. Anything dangerous you are exposed to is stored up inside your fat muscles, and they can stay there for decades without notice.

Well, it doesn’t seem so bad, because that is an advantage of having fat cells. Hold up and think again. Any rapid weight loss you have can cause these toxins to flood your bloodstream and make you very sick.

Here lies the decision. To be fat or not to be?

4. The Parasite Playground in Your Intestines:

Now, it’s no secret that there are millions of microbes living inside the intestinal gut. While some can be harmful, most are actually beneficial. But things can go terribly wrong, and you’ll be left with harmful parasites playing inside your gut.

Most intestinal worms like tapeworms and hookworms can live inside your body for up to five years without you even realizing it. As they enter through poorly prepared food and water, they base camp in your body and grow up to 30 feet long, while feeding off you and staying completely undetected.

Some of them end up travelling to other parts of your body to reside, including the eyes, and that makes for a pretty horrible sight (pun intended!)

5. The Eyeball Space That Can Grow Body Tissues:

Speaking of eyes, did you know that your eyeballs have an empty space behind each of them? These spaces are just to add bulk to the eye tissue and give it a good shape, but in rare cases, that space can be used for evil.

Not evil, per se. Just that localized tumors called teratomas can start to grow there and eventually develop tissues like teeth, hair and even brain matter. The scary part is that these tumors can contribute to eye loss and brain issues.

Imagine going to the doctor for eye issues, only to discover a tiny, malformed body tissue inside your eye space.

6. The Secret Oil Factories in Your Eyelids:

Since we are still on eyes, let’s explore the tiny oil producing glands in our eyelids. These skin cells called the Meibomian Glands, are part of the eyelids and they help with lubrication and maintenance of the lids.

But when these glands get blocked, they turn into cysts as hard as rock, or they sometimes form styes which can burst and cause inflammation. This doesn’t sound so bad right? Afterall, a good dose of antibiotics will return everything to normal.

Well, there are tiny mites called Demodex that live inside the eyelashes and feed on the oil produced by the Meibomian Glands. So, just imagine what happens when the oil doesn’t come out again.

7. The Mood Changing Mind of the Stomach:

It’s definitely going to surprise you when you learn that your stomach has a mind of its own. Aside from accepting and digesting food, the gut is packed with neurons that produce more than 70% of the serotonin in your body.

If you don’t know, serotonin is a chemical in our body that regulates the mood level. So, what this means is that your gut can actually make you anxious, happy or depressed – without your brain even being involved.

The next time you are wondering why you feel angry because of your hunger, remember this blog post.

8. The Brain’s Dead Zones:

Do you ever wonder why you can’t remember most of your memories? That’s because they go into the dead zones of the brain and completely disappear.

As we age, the multiple neurons in the brain constantly fire and act to help us function. However, the hippocampus which is responsible for memory help us repress certain memories but if certain neurons die, those memories die and disappear forever alongside it.

This is also what happens when some of our memories are distorted or misjoined. Those dead or malfunctioning neurons in the hippocampus cannot withstand the pressure, and things go wrong.

9. The Hidden Caverns of Your Lungs:

As much as we like to think that the lungs are just two big air sacs that control our breathing and respiration, they can be much more sinister.

The lungs also have a maze of tiny pockets in and around them, which are perfect hiding places for infections. Certain fungi strains and bacteria organisms like Aspergillus can actually build an infective ball inside your lungs and grow silently for years.

That is, until they grow too big and start causing some serious respiratory problems.

10. The Second Skeleton Growing Inside You:

Last, but not least, let’s talk about the bony structures that can grow inside our body for years without being seen.

Surprisingly, this phenomenon starts from the arteries. Known for carrying oxygenated blood from the heart to other body parts, the arteries can also aid calcium deposits passing through it to harden and form bony structures.

Over time, these structures start to resemble a skeleton and cause arteriosclerosis – which is a condition where the arteries become too hardened. This condition is actually a major cause of elevated blood pressure, and this is just proof that too much calcium can be disastrous.

*****

The human body is an incredible, mind-blowing machine, but it also hides some dark and disturbing secrets which can make you scared. But, one thing is certain: practicing good hygiene and going for frequent checks up will help you beat most of these freak shows.

Which one of these freaked you out the most? Let me know in the comments!