Human Anatomy Misconceptions

HOB Science Tools Misconceptions Directory

Concepts

Systems

Misconceptions

Systems operate in isolation from each other

Muscles are not found all over the body.

Concepts

Circulatory

Misconceptions

Blood leaves the vessels and enters parts of the body.
Blood vessels end in a dead end. They do not reconnect.Blood flows backward or travels through the body to another vessel going back.

Concepts

Respiration

Misconceptions

Air travels to the body in air vessels like blood.
The only gas we breathe out is carbon dioxide.

Concepts

Digestion, Metabolism

Misconceptions

Stomach is most of the area below the belt.
Intestines are in the stomach
Energy is a substance in food.
Food turns into energy into our body.
Our body selects the food it needs.
Only foods that are needed are absorbed in the intestine. Foods that we don’t need stay in the intestine and are excreted from the body.
Food goes from the stomach to the blood stream.
When we diet we loose the weight as energy or sweat.
Most of the food we eat, leaves through the intestine.
Solids not used by the body stay in the intestine or travel back to the intestine and leave through the anus.
Urine and feces, are made up of left over liquids our bodies did not use.

Concepts

Human Reproduction

Misconceptions

Fertilization happens in the vagina.
The fetus does not need oxygen in the womb.
The fetus does not produce waste products in the womb.
Genes are limited to a specific place - blood brain or reproductive organs.
Genes are only carried for a characteristic that they do have (e.g. red hair).
Acquired changes (e.g. muscle development, permanent sun tans) can be passed on to offspring. Genes adapt in response to an evolutionary pressure.
Genetic inheritance involves an averaging of the genes from both parents (e.g. dark skin and white skin leads to brown skin). So each of a child's characteristics is somewhere in between those of the parents.
The sex of a human embryo is not determined until some time after the cells start to divide.

Concepts

Eye is an organ that enables vision.

Parts of the eye have a specific purpose (lens, cornea, muscle, retina (cones and rods) optic nerve, eye lid, tear ducts, tears, eye lashes…).

A lens can focus an image.

Nerves send and receive messages that may be interpreted to by the brain.

Misconceptions

There is nothing in the eye.
The pupil is a black spot on the surface of the eye.
The eye sees images upright.
The eye puts pictures in your head. It takes pictures and sends them to your brain like a fax machine, camera, photocopy machine
Light goes to the brain

Activity
Shine light into mouth close eyes and see light above eye.
Shine into sinuses above the eye and see below eye.

Concepts

Skin

Misconceptions

Skin wrinkles when in water because it makes you feel old, water makes your skin stick together, your skin shrinks, water pressure presses wrinkles, water makes the skin deteriorate.

Concepts

Joints

Misconceptions

Joints bend
Joints allow us to move (muscles)

Concepts

Alchohol

Misconceptions

Alcohol is a stimulant
Coffee can make you less drunk
The more alcohol in a drink the stronger the drink regardless of volume (proportionality)
Fresh air, cold water, makes you less drunk
Driving slower will compensate for alcohol in your body