Your belly button, also known as the navel, is a scar marking the spot where your umbilical cord was attached during your time in the womb. While it may seem like an empty space, there's actually a lot going on inside your belly button.
What's Inside?
- Skin: The most obvious thing inside your belly button is skin. It's the same skin that covers the rest of your body, but it's often thinner and more delicate in this area.
- Fat: Just like other parts of your body, your belly button can have a layer of fat underneath the skin. This fat helps insulate your body and protect your internal organs.
- Muscles: The abdominal muscles that surround your belly button help to support your internal organs and allow you to move and bend.
- Blood Vessels: Tiny blood vessels run through the skin and fat in your belly button, supplying it with oxygen and nutrients.
- Nerves: Nerves also run through your belly button, allowing you to feel sensations like touch, pressure, and temperature.
What's NOT Inside?
- Your intestines: While the umbilical cord was connected to your intestines during fetal development, it detaches after birth. Your intestines are not located inside your belly button.
- Your stomach: Similar to the intestines, your stomach is not inside your belly button. It sits above your belly button in your upper abdomen.
Interesting Facts:
- Belly button lint: The lint that collects in your belly button is actually a combination of fibers from your clothing, dead skin cells, and hair.
- Belly button shapes: There are different shapes of belly buttons, including "outie" and "innie". The shape is determined by how the umbilical cord was cut and healed after birth.
