Largest body part
The largest body part is either the largest given body part across all animals or the largest example of a body part within a species. The largest animals on the planet are not the only ones to have large body parts, with some smaller animals actually having one particularly enlarged area of the body. The largest organ of a mammal is its skin.
Across all living animals
- The Atlantic Giant Squid has the largest recorded eyes of any animal with an approximate diameter of 50 centimetres (20 inches),[1] although those of the Colossal Squid are thought to reach an even greater size.
- The giraffe has the longest neck as well as the longest tail of any land mammal. [2]
- The Wandering Albatross has the largest wingspan at 3.63 metres (11 feet 11 inches). [3]
- The longest horns ever recorded belonged to a wild Water Buffalo and measured 4.24 metres (13 feet 11 inches) from tip to tip. [4] The Greater Kudu has the longest horns on average. [citation needed]
- The largest and heaviest brain belongs to the Sperm Whale, weighing around 9 kilograms. [5]
- The largest heart belongs to the Blue Whale and can weigh over 900 kilograms. [6]
- The bird with the longest recorded penis is the Argentine Blue-bill. [7]
In proportion to body size
- The Giant Anteater has the longest tongue of any mammal in relation to its body size, extending to 60 centimetres (2 feet). [8]
- The barnacle is the creature with the largest penis as a proportion of its overall body size. [9]
- The vampire squid has the largest eyes of any animal relative to its size.[10]
Humans
- The longest bone in the human body is the femur.
- The largest artery is the aorta and the largest vein is the inferior vena cava.
- The largest internal organ is the liver.
- The longest muscle is the sartorius muscle in the thigh.
- The longest nerve is the sciatic nerve in the thigh.
Records
- The longest human tongue ever recorded was that of Stephen Taylor and measures 9.5 centimetres (3.74 inches). [11] The longest tongue for a female is that of Annika Irmler at 7 centimetres (2.76 inches). [12]
- The longest necks belong to the women of the Padaung of Myanmar, who use body modification with brass coils to depress their collar bones,[13] making their necks appear to be very long. [14]
- The longest head of hair belonged to Xie Qiuping of China and measured 5.627 metres (18 feet 5.54 inches) on 8 May 2004. [15]
- The longest beard ever measured belonged to Hans Langseth of Norway; at his death in 1927 it was 5.33 metres (17 feet 6 inches) long. [16] The longest beard belonging to a woman was that of Vivian Wheeler of Wood River, Illinois and grew to 27.9 centimetres (11 inches). [17]
- The longest ear hair belongs to Radhakant Bajpai of Naya Ganj, Uttar Pradesh, India, measuring 13.2 centimetres (5.19 inches). [18]
See also
References
- ^ Guinness World Records. "Largest Eye". Accessed 7 August 2006.
- ^ San Diego Zoo. "Mammals: Giraffe". Accessed 7 August 2006.
- ^ Guinness World Records. "Largest Wingspan Of Any Living Bird". Accessed 7 August 2006.
- ^ Guinness World Records. "Longest Horns". Accessed 7 August 2006.
- ^ MarineBio.org. "Physeter catodon, Sperm Whale". Accessed 7 August 2006.
- ^ Seaworld. "Animal Bytes - Blue Whale". Accessed 9 August 2006.
- ^ Salleh, Anna. ABC.net. 14 September 2001 "Found! The longest bird penis ever". Accessed 7 August 2006.
- ^ World Association of Zoos and Aquariums. October 2005. "Giant Anteater". Accessed 7 August 2006.
- ^ Museum Victoria. "Biology of Barnacles". Accessed 7 August 2006.
- ^ Virgin Islands Marine Advisory Service, University of the Virgin Islands. "The Vampire Squid". Accessed 7 August 2006.
- ^ Guinness World Records. "Longest tongue". Accessed 7 August 2006.
- ^ Newsround. 9 November 2001 "'I've got the world's longest tongue'". Accessed 7 August 2006.
- ^ Indigenous Peoples of the World - The Karen Accessed 9 August 2006.
- ^ Guinness World Records. "Longest Neck". Accessed 9 August 2006.
- ^ Guinness World Records. "Longest hair". Accessed 7 August 2006.
- ^ Guinness World Records. "Longest Male Beard". Accessed 7 August 2006.
- ^ Guinness World Records. "Longest Female Beard". Accessed 7 August 2006.
- ^ Guinness World Records. "Longest Ear Hair". Accessed 7 August 2006.