How our body regenerates

It is a long-held myth that the human figure, hair and personality change every seven years. However, cutting-edge cell research today shows that our body really does regenerate – but it does so constantly. Be it our skeleton or organs, some cells are completely replaced within a short period of time, some regenerate only partially and over a period of some years, while others never regenerate. In fact, our most essential organ – the heart – is only able to regenerate up to 40% of its cells over the course of its lifetime. How do other body cells compare?

Lungs
The effects of stopping smoking are immediately noticeable. Our sense of smell and taste recovers after just two days. And after five years, the risk of a heart attack is similar to that of a non-smoker.

Skin
New skin cells are constantly being generated in the basal cell layer. They keratinize within four weeks and move to the surface of the skin. Our skin completely regenerates in just one month. So this happens 12 times a year and 120 times in 10 years.

Liver
Good news for organ donors: The liver is the only organ that grows back to its original size if pieces of it are removed.

Nails
Our nails not only look different, they also grow at different rates. On average, they grow by about 0.5 to 1.2 mm a week. The nails of the middle fingers grow fastest. Nails grow more slowly if we’re sick and as we get older.

Hair
On average, our hair grows by 1 to 1.5 cm a month. How fast our hair grows depends on age, hormones and ethnicity.

Blood
Mature blood cells have a limited life span. Our body must therefore constantly produce new blood cells. The bone marrow produces several billion blood cells a day.

Bones
Our bones also renew themselves, but in many cases the system doesn’t work as well in older people as it does in young people, which is why the risk of bone diseases, such as osteoporosis, increases.

Quiz
Take our quiz to find out how much you know about regeneration. You’ll find the answers below. Have fun!