What is the area between the eyebrows called?
The projecting area between the two eyebrows, which is just above the nose, is called the glabella. It is triangular in shape. The name is derived from the Latin word glabellus, which means smooth.
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The cleanest village in Asia
Mawlynnong, located in Meghalaya, is the cleanest village in Asia. Situated about 90 kilometres from Shillong, it is nestled in the East Khasi Hills, where the villagers live in harmony with nature. In 2005, the Discover India magazine accorded it the status of the cleanest village in Asia. Mawlynnong has a matrilineal society, and agriculture…
Sharks are more ancient than dinosaurs
Sharks are fish which have cartilages rather than bones. These fish evolved earlier than dinosaurs, which were reptiles. The fossil records show that sharks existed about 400 million years ago. Dinosaurs were found during the Triassic period, i.e. about 225 million years ago.
Cyanide in fruit seeds
Cyanide is a lethal chemical found in minute amounts in seeds of some fruits such as apple, cherry and peach. The seeds of these fruits contain a compound called amygdalin, which is a sugar and cyanide based compound. When amygdalin enters a human or animal body, the sugar part of the molecule gets cut off…
Rocketgrams were launched in India to deliver mail and parcels
Rocketgrams are mail delivered by firing crude rockets towards their destinations. Stephen Hector Taylor-Smith, an Indian aerospace engineer, launched the first rocketgram in the 1930s. In the ten-year span of his experiments he made around 270 launches. The first successful livestock dispatch was of a cock and a hen, Adam and Eve, across the Damodar…
Is the web of a spider its home or a trap?
A spider’s web is not its home, but rather a trap for its prey. It is woven by the spider using the spider silk produced by special glands in their abdomen. The webs are as unique as snowflakes, with no two ever being the same. Some tropical spiders have built webs over 5.5 m across.