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When Gabriel Fahrenheit invented the first mercury thermometer, he called "zero degrees" the lowest temperature he was able to attain with a mixture of ice and salt. For the upper point of his scale, he used 96°, which he measured as normal human body temperature (we know it to be 98.6° today because of more accurate thermometers).
Hyperthyroidism leads to an increased rate of metabolism and affects about 1% of women but only 0.1% of men. For most people, this increased metabolic rate causes the thyroid gland to become enlarged (known as a goiter).
The ratio of hydrogen atoms to oxygen in water (H2O) is 2:1.
More than 2,500 barbiturates have been synthesized. At the height of their popularity, about 50 were marketed for human use.
In most cases, kidneys can recover from almost complete loss of function, such as in acute kidney (renal) failure.