Quiz: how well do you know the human body?

People have had a fascination with the human body for centuries, going as far back as Galen in 128 CE, and even further to Hippocrates in 460 BCE. Even in today’s modern medicine, we’re still learning more about the human body.

‘Advances in science and medicine mean that our understanding is always growing, and healthcare practitioners need to keep up,’ says Dr Laura Gray, Course Director of Deakin’s medicine degrees.

‘Medical students generally spend four years studying how the body works, how to look after it, and importantly, how to provide good healthcare to people – not just bodies. However, they never stop learning,’ Dr Gray explains.

In fact, on top of the further formal training required, she says, ‘[Medical students and professionals] need to be equipped with a constant curiosity about how human bodies and minds work.’

It’s imperative that doctors, healthcare professionals and medical researchers have an adept knowledge of how the human body works, however, Dr Gray says everyone should have some knowledge of their body and its functions.

‘Every human has a body. We all need to understand, at least to some extent, how our body works so that we can look after it.

‘We all make choices about how to treat our bodies many times a day, and it’s helpful to make those choices armed with an understanding of the amazing capabilities of our bodies and the things that can help or hinder our health,’ Dr Gray says.

How much do you know about the human body? Test your knowledge in our quiz…