Brilliant DISer's... The OFFICIAL "Ask a Stupid Question Thread"!

[Papa Deuce]

This is a funny yet serious thread. If you have a dumb question to ask, or a question that you might think would be perceived as dumb, feel free to ask it here.

For intance, until 3 days ago, I never knew what a "muffin top" is... now I know. I was going to ask, but sure enough, DISer's came through.


So, I'll ask the first one..... If you can just remove a gall bladder, and never replace it..... why do we have one?

Post you dumb and not so dumb questions here!

 

[Maleficent13]

The gall bladder processes waste for the liver. It's very involved, but basically, the side effect of not having one is that you don't process fats as well as when you did.

*Note: I am not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV!*

I am trying to think of a dumb question...I know I have them...it's just extracting one.

 

[almacdonald]

What the heck does KWIM stand for?

 

[Maleficent13]

"Know What I Mean"

 

[Maleficent13]

Apparently, I have appointed myself "answerer" for the day.

Please excuse my obnoxiousness...

 

[phillybeth]

So, I'll ask the first one..... If you can just remove a gall bladder, and never replace it..... why do we have one?

The liver produces bile, which is stored in the gall bladder, then released into the small intestine as food is digested. If your gall bladder is removed, the bile goes directly into your intestines as it is produced- this can cause chronic diarrhea. Also, ingested fat may not be completely digested (especially if high fat meals are consumed), which can also lead to diarrhea. Trust me, life without a gall bladder can be unpleasant at times!

 

[Papa Deuce]

Apparently, I have appointed myself "answerer" for the day.

Or... Brilliant DISer.

 

[Maleficent13]

Or... Brilliant DISer.

Oh, yes, that's me! The woman who's sitting at her desk trying to figure out how to open the stapler so she can reload it. The stapler's winning.

 

[Bob Slydell]

Oh, yes, that's me! The woman who's sitting at her desk trying to figure out how to open the stapler so she can reload it. The stapler's winning.

It's that darn college degree holding you back

 

[Maleficent13]

Probably! They didn't teach "Remedial Staple Reloading" at my 4 year. Obviously, I need to write the alumni board...

 

[almacdonald]

I think this thread should be renamed "Post your stupid questions here and have Malificent13 answer them cause she can't load her stapler".

....Or just keep it the way it is. Thanks for the answers. Makes perfect sense now!

 

[JVL1018]

Okay, I have one..
How come the hair on your head keeps on growing, but the hair on your legs doesn't?
It just stops when it gets an inch or so..but if you shave, it grows.
How does your body know the leg hair been shaved and needs to grow? And how does your body know it hasn't been shaved and can stop growing?

 

[The Mayor]

Why do they call it a "pair" of pants when ther is only one ...they don't call a shirt a "pair" of shirts

 

[Rella Bella]

I think this thread should be renamed "Post your stupid questions here and have Malificent13 answer them cause she can't load her stapler".

Thanks I needed that!!

How come the hair on your head keeps on growing, but the hair on your legs doesn't?
It just stops when it gets an inch or so..but if you shave, it grows.
How does your body know the leg hair been shaved and needs to grow? And how does your body know it hasn't been shaved and can stop growing?

I'll let Mal answer!

But to expand the question...
If every cell in your body has the exact same DNA... how do they know to become a toenail or an eyelash or hair on your head???

(BTW my DH would dispute your claim that "hair on your head keeps growing".)

 

[Charade]

Why do they call it a "pair" of pants when ther is only one ...they don't call a shirt a "pair" of shirts

Because each leg is called a pant. Hence, if you have two legs, you have two pant legs. IOW, a pair of pants!

 

[Aidensmom]

Along the lines of one of the first questons, why do we need tonsils?

 

[Caropooh]

and let's not forget our appendix! What is its use in life?

 

[Maleficent13]

Tonsils: Tonsils "catch" germs as the enter the body and some people think that this early "catching" helps the body determine what it needs to fight the germs. The reason you can have them out and not suffer ill effects is that most think the purpose of the tonsils is obsolete by the time a kid reaches school age.

The appendix, basically, does nothing. Why we have it is a mystery.

Now, the hair thing, and the toenail thing, I have no idea...LOL!!

 

[TheOtherVillainess]

Currently, the function of the appendix, if any, remains controversial in the field of human physiology. The wall of the appendix contains lymphatic tissue that may be part of the immune system for making antibodies. There have been cases of people who have been found, usually on laparoscopy or laparotomy, to have a congenital absence of their appendix. There have been no reports of impaired immune or gastrointestinal function in these people.

Another explanation is that the appendix is a remnant of an earlier function, with no current purpose. Note, however, that the pineal gland, which only recently (around 1960) was found to produce important chemicals like melatonin, was once considered a vestigial remnant, as well.

Another explanation is the human appendix may serve a purpose in a diet including occasional raw meat. Specifically, it may allow bacteria useful in the digestion of raw meat to be retained, rather than flushed from the system during long intervals between raw meat meals. Thus, those lacking an appendix may be less able to digest raw meat than the rest of us. However, as raw meat is no longer a significant portion of most people's diets, this difference would be difficult to detect. An experiment could be devised where a control group with appendices and an experimental group without were both fed occasional raw meat diets, of a type similar to what prehistoric humans likely encountered prior to their mastery of fire for cooking.


TOV

 

[LiteBrite]

About why we call it "a pair of pants" - this question showed up on Ask Yahoo recently, and here is what they had to say about it:

http://ask.yahoo.com/20060529.html

Dear Yahoo!:
Why do we say "pair of pants" when referring to one garment?
Patrick
Dear Patrick:

We've heard it's because pants and shorts have two legs. But shirts have two sleeves, and you don't have a "pair of shirts." Hmm, so much for that theory.

According to The Mavens' Word of the Day, pants in the plural form is an Americanism first recorded in 1840. The word is short for pantaloons, a term that originated with a character in Italian commedia dell'arte who wore both stockings and breeches.

World Wide Words states that these types of clothing (pants, underwear, shorts, tights -- or the equivalent terms for them) were made in two parts. One part for each leg, then belted in the middle, somewhat like chaps on cowboys. Over time, they ended up as one piece of clothing, but the habit of referring to the old "pair" persisted.

This reference isn't universal, however. The clothing industry often uses the singular form of pant, but not consistently. So pick your favorite, singular or plural -- you'll still put them on one leg at a time.