Once in a while you run across a bit of trivia that's interesting enough to be worth passing along. (At least I know I do. ☺) This discussion is intended as a place to share things like that.
I'll start. Did you know that Frederick Banting was the youngest person ever to win the Nobel Prize in Physiology/Medicine?
Thanks, David! I don't have a factoid to add, but I think it's a great topic!
marty1492
some sharks lay eggs others give birth to live young
It is still possible today (2014) to sow "safe seed" and to purchase heirloom and non gmo seedlings to grow healthy and delicious produce.
The Lhasa Apso dog has the most wolf DNA of any breed. Thiis Tibeten breeed wieghs in aroundd 15 lb and exhibits maany cat like tendencies.
The Ragdoll cat originated in the 1980's in California. It is the accidental commbination of a persion show cat and a street cat. Ragdollss exhibit many dog tendencies.
I have one of each. What a trip!!
No, very cool!
Best was younger, he was a teenager
Quite true, but he did not share in the Nobel Prize. (Although Banting did split the prize money with him.)
In an "average" human body, if you hold your elbow level with your shoulder and bend it to a 90 degree angle your fingertips (when extended strait upward) will just reach above the level of the top of your head.
The Sultan of Brunei owns over 3000 cars.
I actually have an app on my iPhone called "unnecessary facts" ;)
According to an article I read recently most Type 1s have less than 1% of their beta cells remaining.
I also read recently that about 30% of adults think they have a food allergy, but only about 1-2% actually have a true allergy.
Not sure those count as "factoids" but I thought both were interesting.
According to Ralph Defronzo, by the time T2s reach the point where they are diagnosable as having diabetes they have lost 80% of their beta cell function. Clearly, beta cell lost in both T1 and T2, while perhaps interesting, is certainly not trivial.
One of my most favorite places for useless facts is http://mentalfloss.com/ which has also compiled a series of books with the best of the best.
Hence why mine probably do not quality as factoids, just interesting. I'm not good at remembering a lot of relatively pointless trivia. :)
Interesting, Brian. And it certainly accords with your experience with T2, and mine. And a lot of others' too.
Okay, here's an interesting one I read in a physiology textbook years ago (for a kinesiology course): Beta cells make up about 2% of the pancreas. Amazing how such a small part of the body being damaged/destroyed can have such a huge impact!
Yes, the pancreatic islets make up a very small part of the pancreas. And the beta cells account for about 60% of the islet, so the other 4 kinds of cells (including alpha) account for even less.
I just read that about a quarter of diabetics are also anemic.
http://www.lifescript.com/health/centers/diabetes_2/articles/type_2_diabetics_be_wary_of_anemia.aspx