Bladders function by storing urine until it’s time to go. You know when you need to go because of your nervous system. When the bladder is full, nerve endings in the bladder wall are triggered. These nerve endings send your brain a message that it is time for you to pee.

Hey there, Adventurers! Urine store for some interesting Qs & As today. Although pee might be the butt end (ha) of some pretty funny jokes, peeing is a normal and necessary function of all of our bodies. Knowing how peeing (or urinating) works is an important part of understanding your body! Some Know Yourself-ers like you sent in some great questions that you might have asked yourself before. Remember, if you have questions of your own, send them over to me at the link below or on social media!

Your kidneys are best known for their filtering responsibilities, but one of the functions that gets less attention is the production of hormones that keep the body running correctly. While filtering keeps the body in balance by removing waste and keeping salt levels balanced, hormones from the kidney keep things balanced by helping control our blood itself.

The renal system is made up of the kidneys, the ureters, the bladder, and the urethra. The kidneys work alongside the circulatory system to clean and filter your blood for waste and excess water. The extra fluids and waste products then travel through your ureters, bladder, and urethra and are released as urine. 

Everyone knows about the Five Senses - sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell - but not everyone knows about a special ‘sixth sense’ that helps us experience the world. Proprioception is an internal sense that helps our brain learn where our body is and how we move. Proprioceptive nerve endings in our body provide us with information on where our hands, arms and legs are in space without having to look for them! If you close your eyes and raise your arm over your head, your brain knows your arm is over your head, without having to look in a mirror.

Children may know blood as the substance that comes from a scraped knee or bloody nose, but they may not know what it does. The purpose of the circulatory system may be less obvious than the skeleton or the senses, but it's certainly no less important! Understanding how the system moves blood and lymph throughout the body not only helps us to appreciate this important system, but also take care of it, helping us live longer and happier lives. 

Expand your knowledge on the circulatory system with this bone-us content! Engage in fun activities while learning the in's and out's of your skeletal system!

Hey, Adventurers! Dr. Bonyfide here, back to answer a few of your questions about the skeletal system. Keep them coming - remember to submit  your children's questions here or on social media!

Bones are made to be somewhat flexible, but also strong enough to take big hits. However, if we do break a bone, our bones are amazing in their ability to heal from a fracture or crack. Sometimes, people will get small cracks in their bones without even realizing it. When someone breaks or fractures a bone, however, it is much more noticeable. A broken bone will hurt a lot, might be hard to move, and will often bruise and swell. When this happens, a doctor will take X-rays, make sure the bones are in place, and place a cast or splint to stabilize the area and  aid the healing process.

No matter who you are, where you live, or what age you are, you have something that everyone else has, too… a skeleton! The skeleton is composed of a complex system of bones to keep you upright and moving, all while protecting your internal organs. The skeleton also holds the key to many fun and surprising facts. 

Most children know that we taste with our tongue, see with our eyes, smell with our nose, hear with our ears, and touch with our skin. Something they might not know is that our brain has a big role in how our senses work.