By R. Robert Creech, PhD The poet asked God, "What is man that you are mindful of him?" Close your eyes and imagine yourself alone at night, outside the city limits, where nothing separates you from the star-studded sky but an expanse of clear, crisp air. [368], Unlike speaking, reading and writing does not come naturally to humans and must be taught. [413], Society is the system of organizations and institutions arising from interaction between humans. [242] Skin darkening may have evolved as protection against ultraviolet solar radiation. [259][260] These non-African populations acquired new genetic inputs from local admixture with archaic populations and have much greater variation from Neanderthals and Denisovans than is found in Africa,[177] though Neanderthal admixture into African populations may be underestimated. Chicks follow their mother by instinct, but when they are quite young they will follow with equal readiness any moving object remotely resembling their mother, or even a, She turned again the looked at the distant blue, which was so smooth and serene where the sky met the sea; she could not possibly want only one, Be pleased, then, to remember (First): That the actions of, "Every elevation of the type 'man,'" he writes in "Beyond Good and Evil", "has hitherto been the work of an aristocratic society--and so will it always be--a society believing in a long scale of gradations of rank and differences of worth among, Lady Arabella looked like a soulless, pitiless being, not human, unless it revived old legends of transformed, The animal evidently was accustomed to the association of, Now this business of giving life to animals, making them talk and behave like. Also known as: human, human race, man, mankind. [280] Humans may be the only animals who have episodic memory and who can engage in "mental time travel". Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). ", "What is Ethnic Identity and Does It Matter? But 42,000 people work there. language, a system of conventional spoken, manual (signed), or written symbols by means of which human beings, as members of a social group and participants in its culture, express themselves. This led to the development of governance within and between the communities. Among the 23 pairs of chromosomes, there are 22 pairs of autosomes and one pair of sex chromosomes. [422], Gender roles are often associated with a division of norms, practices, dress, behavior, rights, duties, privileges, status, and power, with men enjoying more rights and privileges than women in most societies, both today and in the past. [98] This includes the British Empire expanding to become the world's largest empire[99] and the colonization of the Americas. The functions of language include communication, the expression of identity, play, imaginative expression, and emotional release. They can be divided into different groups according to their income, wealth, power, reputation and other factors. Learn words you need to communicate with confidence. [16] Following their split with chimpanzees and bonobos, the hominins diversified into many species and at least two distinct genera. "@solamentejess_ UGHHH he thinks of himself as void of any feeling so therefore he thinks he's inhuman so when he sees the unbridled anger and emotion pouring out of chuuya he sees the direct antithesis of himself and therefore he believes chuuya is the exact definition of a human being" See also Homo sapiens; human evolution. [202][203], The life span of an individual depends on two major factors, genetics and lifestyle choices. Humans have characteristically crowded teeth, with gaps from lost teeth usually closing up quickly in young individuals. Human being. Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/human%20being. As far as you know there isn't a human being living who has any claim to your services by reason of blood relationship. [145][146] The dental formula of humans is: 2.1.2.32.1.2.3. Cognitive psychology studies cognition, the mental processes underlying behavior. [397] In 2015 the plurality were Christian followed by Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists. [434][435][436], As farming populations gathered in larger and denser communities, interactions between these different groups increased. The crew and inhabitants of several starships led by the Galactica are the sole human beings stranded by the obliteration of their world at the hands of an artificial race that humans created to be slaves. [290] Dreams can at times make a creative thought occur or give a sense of inspiration. This change in diet may also have altered human biology; with the spread of dairy farming providing a new and rich source of food, leading to the evolution of the ability to digest lactose in some adults. [278] Objectively defining intelligence is difficult, with other animals adapting senses and excelling in areas that humans are unable to. Humans began exhibiting behavioral modernity about 160,00060,000 years ago. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. [346][347] Human language also has the capacity of displacement, using words to represent things and happenings that are not presently or locally occurring but reside in the shared imagination of interlocutors. ", "The Evolutionary History of the Australopiths", "From Australopithecus to Homo: the transition that wasn't", "Paleoanthropology. In biological terms, a human being, or human, is any member of the mammalian species Homo sapiens, a group of ground-dwelling, . Worldwide, over one billion people are obese,[230] while in the United States 35% of people are obese, leading to this being described as an "obesity epidemic. These can be a common set of traditions, ancestry, language, history, society, culture, nation, religion, or social treatment within their residing area. Psychologists have developed intelligence tests and the concept of intelligence quotient in order to assess the relative intelligence of human beings and study its distribution among population. The dog was so clever that he seemed almost human. The events in dreams are generally outside the control of the dreamer, with the exception of lucid dreaming, where the dreamer is self-aware. [253][254][255] Dark-skinned populations that are found in Africa, Australia, and South Asia are not closely related to each other. (Most of the time.). Having less sleep than this is common among humans, even though sleep deprivation can have negative health effects. | Meaning, pronunciation, translations and examples [408], Philosophy is a field of study where humans seek to understand fundamental truths about themselves and the world in which they live. For an examination of human culture, see art; cuisine; dance; government; literature; music; sport. ", "Despite global concerns about democracy, more than half of countries are democratic", "Did Use of Free Trade Cause Neanderthal Extinction? [210] In 2012, the United Nations estimated that there were 316,600 living centenarians (humans of age 100 or older) worldwide. They found some remains which were thought to be human. noun any individual of the genus Homo, especially a member of the species Homo sapiens. In addition to controlling "lower," involuntary, or primarily autonomic activities such as respiration and digestion, it is also the locus of "higher" order functioning such as thought, reasoning, and abstraction. Whatever their theoretical justification, human rights refer to a wide continuum of values or capabilities thought to enhance human agency or protect human interests and . The typical height of an adult human is between 1.4 and 1.9m (4ft 7in and 6ft 3in), although this varies significantly depending on sex, ethnic origin, and family bloodlines. [370] One of the oldest surviving works of literature is the Epic of Gilgamesh, first engraved on ancient Babylonian tablets about 4,000 years ago. human being, a culture-bearing primate classified in the genus Homo, especially the species H. sapiens. Health is a state of physical, mental and social well-being, not just the absence of disease or infirmity. Humans are highly intelligent, capable of episodic memory, have flexible facial expressions, self-awareness, and a theory of mind. ", "The Changing Global Religious Landscape", "Pay attention time for lessons at animal school", "Infant cognition includes the potentially human-unique ability to encode embedding", "Chimps Can't Cook, But Maybe They'd Like To", "The Book of Humans by Adam Rutherford review a pithy homage to our species", "Babblers speak to the origin of language", "Can any animals talk and use language like humans? Glossary of psychological terms", "Developmental Psychology Studies Human Development Across the Lifespan", "The Influences of Emotion on Learning and Memory", "The relation between emotional intelligence and criminal behavior: A study among convicted criminals", "The role of positive emotions in positive psychology. The word in the example sentence does not match the entry word. conscious existence : life. [245][246], There is relatively little variation between human geographical populations, and most of the variation that occurs is at the individual level. Summary. [140] The most urbanized regions are Northern America (82%), Latin America (81%), Europe (74%) and Oceania (68%), with Africa and Asia having nearly 90% of the world's 3.4 billion rural population. [75][76] Around this time other civilizations also came to prominence. What is our future? [123] The human population is not, however, uniformly distributed on the Earth's surface, because the population density varies from one region to another, and large stretches of surface are almost completely uninhabited, like Antarctica and vast swathes of the ocean. Warns Number Of People Starving To Death Could Double Amid Pandemic", "Gene-environment interaction study for BMI reveals interactions between genetic factors and physical activity, alcohol consumption and socioeconomic status", "Population genetics of malaria resistance in humans", "Genetic variation and susceptibility to infection: the red cell and malaria", "Bergmann's and Allen's Rules in Native European and Mediterranean Phasmatodea", "Physiological and Genetic Adaptations to Diving in Sea Nomads", "Colloquium paper: human skin pigmentation as an adaptation to UV radiation", "Evidence for variable selective pressures at MC1R", "The Science Behind the Human Genome Project", "The distribution of human genetic diversity: a comparison of mitochondrial, autosomal, and Y-chromosome data", "New Research Proves Single Origin Of Humans In Africa", "The effect of ancient population bottlenecks on human phenotypic variation", "Recovering signals of ghost archaic introgression in African populations", "Mean body weight, height, and body mass index, United States 19602002", "Male versus female skin: What dermatologists and cosmeticians should know", "How common is lntersex? ", "Why Men Die Younger: Causes of Mortality Differences by Sex", "Life expectancy at birth, female (years)", "Origins and evolution of the Western diet: health implications for the 21st century", "Human eating behaviour in an evolutionary ecological context", "Double Cropping the Earliest Agriculture", "The gourmet ape: evolution and human food preferences", "How Long Can a Person Survive without Food? [212][213] Human groups have adopted a range of diets from purely vegan to primarily carnivorous. 2. [406] An understanding of mathematics is unique to humans, although other species of animals have some numerical cognition. Although some scientists equate the term "humans" with all members of the genus Homo, in common usage it generally refers to Homo sapiens, the only extant member. Origin of human being First recorded in 1855-60 Words nearby human being [119] Human settlements continue to be vulnerable to natural disasters, especially those placed in hazardous locations and with low quality of construction. Learn a new word every day. Nglish: Translation of being for Spanish Speakers, Britannica English: Translation of being for Arabic Speakers. These include allowing them to better problem solve issues, providing a means to control or influence other humans, encouraging cooperation and contribution within a society or increasing the chance of attracting a potential mate. [261] Furthermore, recent studies have found that populations in sub-Saharan Africa, and particularly West Africa, have ancestral genetic variation which predates modern humans and has been lost in most non-African populations. [84] In the Middle East, Islam became the prominent religion and expanded into North Africa. We are now the only living members of what many zoologists refer to as the human tribe, Hominini, but there is . [185] Humans are able to induce early labor or perform a caesarean section if the child needs to be born earlier for medical reasons. ", "Social Role Theory of Sex Differences and Similarities: A Current Appraisal", "The origins of sexism: How men came to rule 12,000 years ago", "Evolution of kinship structures driven by marriage tie and competition", "Race and ethnicity: How are they different? [384], Religion is generally defined as a belief system concerning the supernatural, sacred or divine, and practices, values, institutions and rituals associated with such belief. [401], Aristotle has been described as the first scientist,[402] and preceded the rise of scientific thought through the Hellenistic period. Another suggests that war is a relatively recent phenomenon and has appeared due to changing social conditions. [148] Apart from bipedalism and brain size, humans differ from chimpanzees mostly in smelling, hearing and digesting proteins. Victory in the war was achieved at the cost of great human suffering. Click on the arrows to change the translation direction. [13] The lineage of apes that eventually gave rise to humans first split from gibbons (family Hylobatidae) and orangutans (genus Pongo), then gorillas (genus Gorilla), and finally, chimpanzees and bonobos (genus Pan). [3][4] The word human can refer to all members of the Homo genus,[5] although in common usage it generally just refers to Homo sapiens, the only extant species. [14][15] During this split, chromosome 2 was formed from the joining of two other chromosomes, leaving humans with only 23 pairs of chromosomes, compared to 24 for the other apes. [190] The size of the fetus's head is more closely matched to the pelvis than other primates. [365] Dance is also a form of human expression found in all cultures[366] and may have evolved as a way to help early humans communicate. Improve your vocabulary with English Vocabulary in Use from Cambridge.Learn words you need to communicate with confidence. [296] It is sometimes synonymous with 'the mind', and at other times, an aspect of it. Accessed 5 Jun. One school of thought holds that war evolved as a means to eliminate competitors, and has always been an innate human characteristic. In the developing world, the median age is between 15 and 20 years. The brain volume is about 1,400 cc. Ideally, both motivation and volition ensure the selection, striving for, and realization of goals in an optimal manner, a function beginning in childhood and continuing throughout a lifetime in a process known as socialization. The structure of social stratification and the degree of social mobility differs, especially between modern and traditional societies. [138] It took over two million years of human prehistory and history for the human population to reach one billion and only 207 years more to grow to 7 billion. See additional meanings and similar words. [109] A tenuous balance of power among European nations collapsed in 1914 with the outbreak of the First World War, one of the deadliest conflicts in history. [100] This expansion led to the Atlantic slave trade[101] and the genocide of Native American peoples. Agriculture and sedentary lifestyle led to the emergence of early civilizations. something that actually exists. [24][25][26] Humans began exhibiting behavioral modernity about 160,00070,000 years ago,[27] and possibly earlier. human, individual sometimes used in combination especially by those who prefer to avoid man in compounds applicable to both sexes See the full definition Merriam-Webster Logo [377][378] The wheel and wheeled vehicles appeared simultaneously in several regions some time in the fourth millennium BC. In addition, human beings display a marked erectness of body carriage that frees the hands for use as manipulative members. [132][133] Around 5060 million people lived in the combined eastern and western Roman Empire in the 4th century AD. , Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus - The Free Dictionary, the webmaster's page for free fun content, Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority, Human Behavior and the Social Environment. There have been many forms of government throughout human history, each having various means of obtaining power and the ability to exert diverse controls on the population. [303] Largely focusing on the development of the human mind through the life span, developmental psychology seeks to understand how people come to perceive, understand, and act within the world and how these processes change as they age. [390] Religion has taken on many forms that vary by culture and individual perspective in alignment with the geographic, social, and linguistic diversity of the planet. Like other mammals, humans have an XY sex-determination system, so that females have the sex chromosomes XX and males have XY. [59][60][61][62] Astronomy and mathematics were also developed and the Great Pyramid of Giza was built. [22] H. erectus also was the first to evolve a characteristically human body plan. [382] Modern technology is observed as progressing exponentially,[383] with major innovations in the 20th century including: electricity, penicillin, semiconductors, internal combustion engines, the Internet, nitrogen fixing fertilisers, airplanes, computers, automobiles, contraceptive pills, nuclear fission, the green revolution, radio, scientific plant breeding, rockets, air conditioning, television and the assembly line. [438] This cognitive flexibility allows individual humans to change their political ideologies, with those with higher flexibility less likely to support authoritarian and nationalistic stances. [143][144], Most aspects of human physiology are closely homologous to corresponding aspects of animal physiology. [112][113] The current Information Age sees the world becoming increasingly globalized and interconnected. [235] Sickle cell anemia, which may provide increased resistance to malaria, is frequent in populations where malaria is endemic. [8] The native English term man can refer to the species generally (a synonym for humanity) as well as to human males. For a philosophical treatment of the subject, see philosophical anthropology. Learn more. [118] Modern humans, however, have a great capacity for altering their habitats by means of technology, irrigation, urban planning, construction, deforestation and desertification. Accessed 5 Jun. 2. ", "Advances in pubertal growth and factors influencing it: Can we increase pubertal growth? The criteria by which we measure success or encourage happiness or contemplate health care decisionsthese are all grounded in our commitments regarding what it means to be human. noun Synonyms of human being : human Synonyms baby being bird bod [ British] body character cookie cooky creature customer devil duck egg face fish guy head human individual life man mortal party person personage scout slob sort soul specimen stiff thing wight Early modern humans probably had a range of gender roles similar to that of modern cultures from at least the Upper Paleolithic, while the Neanderthals were less sexually dimorphic and there is evidence that the behavioural difference between males and females was minimal. Archer Creator Adam Reed Spills Season 6 Secrets, From Surreal Plotlines to Life Post-ISIS, The Life and Hard Times Of The Family A Cuban Defector Left Behind, My Insurance Company Killed Me, Despite Obamacare, Amanda Knox, Cub Reporter: The Convicted Murderer Is Now Writing Theater Reviews for a Small Seattle Paper. 2023. [175] In 2012 the International HapMap Project had compared the genomes of 1,184 individuals from 11 populations and identified 1.6 million single nucleotide polymorphisms. [447], Early human economies were more likely to be based around gift giving instead of a bartering system. Why not give her the opportunity to be an actual human being versus a celebrity? 'pa pdd chac-sb tc-bd bw hbr-20 hbss lpt-25' : 'hdn'">, Test your vocabulary with our fun image quizzes, Clear explanations of natural written and spoken English. )' Traditionally, humans were considered the sole recent representatives of the family Hominidae, but recent findings indicate that chimpanzees and bonobos are more closely related to humans than are gorillas and orangutans and that the last common ancestor between the chimpanzee and human lines lived sometime between seven million and six million years ago. The human body consists of the legs, the torso, the arms, the neck, and the head. ", "Here's how many days a person can survive without water", "U.N. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. [91] Oceania would see the rise of the Tui Tonga Empire which expanded across many islands in the South Pacific. As decent human beings, we are supposed to be pleased by one anothers successes. [288] Humans have three to five dreams per night, and some may have up to seven. [204] For various reasons, including biological/genetic causes, women live on average about four years longer than men. [201] It has been proposed that menopause increases a woman's overall reproductive success by allowing her to invest more time and resources in her existing offspring, and in turn their children (the grandmother hypothesis), rather than by continuing to bear children into old age. Humans are omnivorous, capable of consuming a wide variety of plant and animal material, and have used fire and other forms of heat to prepare and cook food since the time of Homo erectus. [351] Literary arts can include prose, poetry and dramas; while the performing arts generally involve theatre, music and dance. When you stop laughing and take a good look at whats going on, you realize that the well-being of lots of non-famous, non-rich, non-publicity-seeking human beings is affected by this Wall Street madness. [18][19] Though fossils from the transition are scarce, the earliest members of Homo share several key traits with Australopithecus. [140] Problems for humans living in cities include various forms of pollution and crime,[141] especially in inner city and suburban slums. of, natural to, concerning, or belonging to, mankind. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Humans are highly social and tend to live in large complex social groups. [407] All of science can be divided into three major branches, the formal sciences (e.g., logic and mathematics), which are concerned with formal systems, the applied sciences (e.g., engineering, medicine), which are focused on practical applications, and the empirical sciences, which are based on empirical observation and are in turn divided into natural sciences (e.g., physics, chemistry, biology) and social sciences (e.g., psychology, economics, sociology). [173], The human genome was first sequenced in 2001[174] and by 2020 hundreds of thousands of genomes had been sequenced. Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. [102] This period also marked the Scientific Revolution, with great advances in mathematics, mechanics, astronomy and physiology. Learn a new word every day. [441] Many countries have formed international political organizations and alliances, the largest being the United Nations with 193 member states. The Maya civilization started to build cities and create complex calendars. [20][21] The earliest record of Homo is the 2.8 million-year-old specimen LD 350-1 from Ethiopia, and the earliest named species are Homo habilis and Homo rudolfensis which evolved by 2.3 million years ago. The experiments used one type of cotton mask and one type of medical mask in a laboratory, not with human beings, he said. Power of Attorney Promissory Note LLC Operating Agreement Living Will Rental Lease Agreement Non-Disclosure Agreement Human Beings Law and Legal Definition There are various definitions for a human being. [68][69][70] The Late Bronze Age collapse around 1200 BCE resulted in the disappearance of a number of civilizations and the beginning of the Greek Dark Ages. In many societies, it is one of the most important social organizing principles and plays a role in transmitting status and inheritance. How did we get to now? (Most of the time.). [45] It also occurred independently in Mesoamerica (about 6,000 years ago),[46] China,[47][48] Papua New Guinea,[49] and the Sahel and West Savanna regions of Africa. Get ready with Test&Train, the online practice tool from Cambridge. Males on average are 15% heavier and 15cm (6in) taller than females. [323] The biological and physical aspects of sexuality largely concern the human reproductive functions, including the human sexual response cycle. [360] Art attributed to H. sapiens existed at least 75,000 years ago, with jewellery and drawings found in caves in South Africa. Add human (being) to one of your lists below, or create a new one. Happiness, or being happy, is a human emotional condition. (Definition of human (being) from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary Cambridge University Press) Browse hullo hum hum and haw idiom human human (being) human capital human development index human ecology BETA 1 : of, relating to, or characteristic of humans (see human entry 2) the human brain human voices problems that have occurred throughout human history 2 : consisting of or involving humans everyone held hands and made a human chain human interactions human spaceflight 3 a : having human form or attributes https://www.thefreedictionary.com/human+being. [379], China developed paper, the printing press, gunpowder, the compass and other important inventions. [171][172] The forces of natural selection have continued to operate on human populations, with evidence that certain regions of the genome display directional selection in the past 15,000 years. The world population and population density statistics are updated automatically from a template that uses the CIA World Factbook and United Nations World Population Prospects. These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'being.' These phases are prenatal life, infancy, childhood . [329], Love most commonly refers to a feeling of strong attraction or emotional attachment. The exact influence of genes and environment on certain traits is not well understood. CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES? Humans have continued to expand, with a global population of over 8 billion as of 2023[update]. 2023. Genes and the environment influence human biological variation in visible characteristics, physiology, disease susceptibility, mental abilities, body size, and life span. [225] Survival without water is usually limited to three or four days, with a maximum of one week. Humans ( Homo sapiens) are the most common and widespread species of primate. [238] Some populations have evolved highly unique adaptations to very specific environmental conditions, such as those advantageous to ocean-dwelling lifestyles and freediving in the Bajau. [77][78] In Africa, the Kingdom of Aksum overtook the declining Kingdom of Kush and facilitated trade between India and the Mediterranean. human definition: 1. being, relating to, or belonging to a person or to people as opposed to animals: 2. having the. Common stages include infancy, childhood, adolescence, adulthood and old age. The Nature of the Evolutionary Unit Homo sapiens and its Specimens [114], Early human settlements were dependent on proximity to water and depending on the lifestyle other natural resources used for subsistence, such as populations of animal prey for hunting and arable land for growing crops and grazing livestock. Some of this ancestry is thought to originate from admixture with an unknown archaic hominin that diverged before the split of Neanderthals and modern humans. Babylonians came to dominate Mesopotamia while others,[67] such as the Poverty Point culture, Minoans and the Shang dynasty, rose to prominence in new areas. [215], Until the development of agriculture approximately 10,000 years ago, Homo sapiens employed a hunter-gatherer method as their sole means of food collection. At puberty, humans develop secondary sexual characteristics. [446] The first truly international trade routes were around the spice trade through the Roman and medieval periods. [39] DNA evidence suggests that several genes of Neanderthal origin are present among all non sub-Saharan African populations, and Neanderthals and other hominins, such as Denisovans, may have contributed up to 6% of their genome to present-day non sub-Saharan African humans. [194], Both the mother and the father provide care for human offspring, in contrast to other primates, where parental care is mostly done by the mother. [206][207] There are significant geographical variations in human life expectancy, mostly correlated with economic development for example, life expectancy at birth in Hong Kong is 87.6years for girls and 81.8 for boys, while in the Central African Republic, it is 55.0years for girls and 50.6 for boys. [186] In developed countries, infants are typically 34kg (79lb) in weight and 4753cm (1921in) in height at birth. [403] Other early advances in science came from the Han Dynasty in China and during the Islamic Golden Age. [81][82], Following the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476, Europe entered the Middle Ages. [326][327] While homosexual behavior occurs in some other animals, only humans and domestic sheep have so far been found to exhibit exclusive preference for same-sex relationships. A response to Anne FaustoSterling", "Are Humans the Most Intelligent Species? be. Corrections? Post more words for human being to Facebook, Share more words for human being on Twitter, Palter, Dissemble, and Other Words for Lying, Skunk, Bayou, and Other Words with Native American Origins, Words For Things You Didn't Know Have Names, Vol. From a psychological perspective, Maslow's hierarchy of needs is a well-established theory that can be defined as the process of satisfying certain needs in ascending order of complexity. [110] In the 1930s, a worldwide economic crisis led to the rise of authoritarian regimes and a Second World War, involving almost all of the world's countries. [304][305] This may focus on intellectual, cognitive, neural, social, or moral development. [440] As of 2017, more than half of all national governments are democracies, with 13% being autocracies and 28% containing elements of both. Learn a new word every day. [451], Humans commit violence on other humans at a rate comparable to other primates, but have an increased preference for killing adults, infanticide being more common among other primates. [322][323] Sexuality also affects and is affected by cultural, political, legal, philosophical, moral, ethical, and religious aspects of life. Dreaming is stimulated by the pons and mostly occurs during the REM phase of sleep. [279], There are some traits that, although not strictly unique, do set humans apart from other animals. This, they said, was no human being like themselves; such hellish practices could have but one origin. (a) In determining the meaning of any Act of Congress, or of any ruling, regulation, or interpretation of the various administrative bureaus and agencies of the United States, the words "person", "human being", "child", and "individual", shall include every infant member of the species homo sapiens who is born alive at any stage of development. [321], For humans, sexuality involves biological, erotic, physical, emotional, social, or spiritual feelings and behaviors. [161][149] Humans' thinner body hair and more productive sweat glands help avoid heat exhaustion while running for long distances. (Read Yuval Noah Hararis Britannica essay on the future of Nonconscious Man.). Delivered to your inbox! [358], Art is a defining characteristic of humans and there is evidence for a relationship between creativity and language. While many of the common variants found in populations outside of Africa are also found on the African continent, there are still large numbers that are private to these regions, especially Oceania and the Americas. Biologically, they are classified as hominids of the species Homo sapiens, which are a primate species of mammal with a highly developed brain. It may be 'awareness', or 'awareness of awareness', or self-awareness. [214] The human diet is prominently reflected in human culture and has led to the development of food science. [301] The human brain perceives the external world through the senses, and each individual human is influenced greatly by his or her experiences, leading to subjective views of existence and the passage of time. being, relating to, or belonging to a person or to people as opposed to animals: The human body is composed of about 60 percent water. [364] It has been shown that human brains respond to music by becoming synchronized with the rhythm and beat, a process called entrainment. Emotion has a significant influence on human behavior and their ability to learn. [363] The use of imagination developed through art, combined with logic may have given early humans an evolutionary advantage. These culturally defined relationships are referred to as kinship. [311][312] They are often intertwined with mood, temperament, personality, disposition, creativity,[313] and motivation. human development, the process of growth and change that takes place between birth and maturity. [73], In the 5th century BCE, history started being recorded as a discipline, which provided a much clearer picture of life at the time. [177] By 2010 estimates, humans have approximately 22,000 genes. Build your confidence with hundreds of exam questions with hints, tips and instant feedback. All the Details from Their Double Ceremony For the time, The originalist Court isnt going anywhere for the time, Late night television will assuredly disappear for the time, Shinto has no founder, Jesus or Buddha figure, but pays homage to divine, Sometimes these figures become trees or plants, turning into human gardens, transforming into mythical, have a way of (being something or doing something), Palter, Dissemble, and Other Words for Lying, Skunk, Bayou, and Other Words with Native American Origins, Words For Things You Didn't Know Have Names, Vol. [320] Recent research suggests that being happy might involve experiencing some negative emotions when humans feel they are warranted. [200] Human females undergo menopause and become infertile at around the age of 50. [449] Human study of economics is a social science that looks at how societies distribute scarce resources among different people. Humans are highly social and tend to live in complex social structures composed of many cooperating and competing groups, from families and kinship networks to political states. [9], Despite the fact that the word animal is colloquially used as an antonym for human,[10] and contrary to a common biological misconception, humans are animals. [152], It is estimated that the worldwide average height for an adult human male is about 171cm (5ft 7in), while the worldwide average height for adult human females is about 159cm (5ft 3in). [236][237] Populations that have for a very long time inhabited specific climates tend to have developed specific phenotypes that are beneficial for those environments short stature and stocky build in cold regions, tall and lanky in hot regions, and with high lung capacities or other adaptations at high altitudes. [450] There are massive inequalities in the division of wealth among humans; the eight richest humans are worth the same monetary value as the poorest half of all the human population. humanity: [noun] compassionate, sympathetic, or generous behavior or disposition : the quality or state of being humane. [344], While many species communicate, language is unique to humans, a defining feature of humanity, and a cultural universal. The human mind is capable of introspection, private thought, imagination, volition, and forming views on existence. ", "Humans may have been trading with each for as long as 300,000 years", "Why do we need economists and the study of economics? There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. anthropology, "the science of humanity," which studies human beings in aspects ranging from the biology and evolutionary history of Homo sapiens to the features of society and culture that decisively distinguish humans from other animal species. [340] Teaching and learning preserves the cultural and ethnographic identity of human societies. [53][54][55], An urban revolution took place in the 4th millennium BCE with the development of city-states, particularly Sumerian cities located in Mesopotamia. What was this human being fighting for everywhere but inside a ring? [262][263], Humans are a gonochoric species, meaning they are divided into male and female sexes. [163] Genes and environment influence human biological variation in visible characteristics, physiology, disease susceptibility and mental abilities. [317] Happiness, or the state of being happy, is a human emotional condition. [208][209] The developed world is generally aging, with the median age around 40 years. [273] Women have a longer life span in almost every population around the world. [223][224], In general, humans can survive for up to eight weeks without food, depending on stored body fat. The term man has traditionally referred to humans in general, or humankind. [74] Between the 8th and 6th century BCE, Europe entered the classical antiquity age, a period when ancient Greece and ancient Rome flourished. [241] It tends to vary clinally and generally correlates with the level of ultraviolet radiation in a particular geographic area, with darker skin mostly around the equator. There is also a third type applied to godparents or adoptive children (fictive). As populations became larger and denser, forms of governance developed within and between communities, and a large number of civilizations have risen and fallen. Each somatic cell has two sets of 23 chromosomes, each set received from one parent; gametes have only one set of chromosomes, which is a mixture of the two parental sets. All modern humans are classified into the species Homo sapiens, coined by Carl Linnaeus in his 1735 work Systema Naturae. [439], Governments create laws and policies that affect the citizens that they govern. [388] It may have evolved to play a role in helping enforce and encourage cooperation between humans. Animals may behave like that, but human beings shouldn't. While one in five Europeans is 60 years of age or older, only one in twenty Africans is 60 years of age or older. [341] Other traits and behaviors that are mostly unique to humans include starting fires,[342] phoneme structuring[343] and vocal learning. In contrast, pregnancy and natural childbirth remain hazardous ordeals in developing regions of the world, with maternal death rates approximately 100 times greater than in developed countries. Dictionary.com Unabridged A great ape characterized by their bipedalism and high intelligence, humans' large brain and resulting cognitive skills have allowed them to thrive in a variety of environments and develop complex societies and civilizations. [93] Meanwhile, Japan entered the Edo period,[94] the Qing dynasty rose in China[95] and the Mughal Empire ruled much of India. [17], The genus Homo evolved from Australopithecus. [244] Human skin also has a capacity to darken (tan) in response to exposure to ultraviolet radiation. [327][328] Research in neuroscience and genetics suggests that other aspects of human sexuality are biologically influenced as well. Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced searchad free! [389], There is no accepted academic definition of what constitutes religion. If it is humanly possible, he will do it. [286], During sleep humans dream, where they experience sensory images and sounds. Volition may also be involved, in which case willpower is also a factor. [404][85] The scientific revolution, near the end of the Renaissance, led to the emergence of modern science. [283] Humans are one of the few animals able to self-recognize in mirror tests[284] and there is also debate over to what extent humans are the only animals with a theory of mind. [400] This accumulated knowledge can be tested to answer questions or make predictions about how the universe functions and has been very successful in advancing human ascendancy. William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 HarperCollins Henry Sweet, an English . Fossils suggest that human beings and apes shared a common ancestor as recently as 13 million years ago, and that whales, bats, and humans all shared parentage roughly 65 million years ago. as distinguished from other animals or as representing the human species: conditions not fit for human beings. [444][445] Early trade likely involved materials for creating tools like obsidian. Not really. [274]There are intersex conditions in the human population, however these are rare.[275]. According to a philosophical commonplace, Aristotle defined human beings as rational animals. [291], Human consciousness, at its simplest, is sentience or awareness of internal or external existence. 1400)-language text, Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2018, Articles lacking reliable references from June 2022, Pages using Sister project links with wikidata mismatch, Pages using Sister project links with default search, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 2 June 2023, at 04:28. [269] Women generally have a higher body fat percentage than men. a member of the species Homo sapiens. [239], Human hair ranges in color from red to blond to brown to black, which is the most frequent. [134] Bubonic plagues, first recorded in the 6th century AD, reduced the population by 50%, with the Black Death killing 75200 million people in Eurasia and North Africa alone. "[231] Obesity is caused by consuming more calories than are expended, so excessive weight gain is usually caused by an energy-dense diet. [169][170] This small variation in human DNA compared to many other species suggests a population bottleneck during the Late Pleistocene (around 100,000 years ago), in which the human population was reduced to a small number of breeding pairs. Humans can survive for up to eight weeks without food and three or four days without water. [335] Disregarding extinct hominids, humans are the only animals known to teach generalizable information,[336] innately deploy recursive embedding to generate and communicate complex concepts,[337] engage in the "folk physics" required for competent tool design,[338][339] or cook food in the wild. [399], An aspect unique to humans is their ability to transmit knowledge from one generation to the next and to continually build on this information to develop tools, scientific laws and other advances to pass on further. [411] Philosophy relies on reason and evidence, unlike religion, but does not require the empirical observations and experiments provided by science. The idea of man is treated in a number of articles. Viewed zoologically, we humans are Homo sapiens, a culture-bearing upright-walking species that lives on the ground and very likely first evolved in Africa about 315,000 years ago. The most commonly defined body systems in humans are the nervous, the cardiovascular, the digestive, the endocrine, the immune, the integumentary, the lymphatic, the musculoskeletal, the reproductive, the respiratory, and the urinary system. [282] Humans are the only animals known to cry emotional tears. [28], The "out of Africa" migration took place in at least two waves, the first around 130,000 to 100,000 years ago, the second (Southern Dispersal) around 70,000 to 50,000 years ago. [83] During this period, Christianity and the Church would provide centralized authority and education. [205] As of 2018[update], the global average life expectancy at birth of a girl is estimated to be 74.9 years compared to 70.4 for a boy. [428]All societies have rules of incest taboo, according to which marriage between certain kinds of kin relations are prohibited, and some also have rules of preferential marriage with certain kin relations. Some religions also have a moral code. [87] In the Americas, complex Mississippian societies would arise starting around 800 CE,[88] while further south, the Aztecs and Incas would become the dominant powers. [367] Listening to music and observing dance stimulates the orbitofrontal cortex and other pleasure sensing areas of the brain. [131], In 2018, 4.2 billion humans (55%) lived in urban areas, up from 751 million in 1950. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional. Visible characteristics, physiology, disease susceptibility and mental abilities & amp ; Train the! Exposure to ultraviolet radiation, poetry and dramas ; while the performing arts generally involve theatre, music dance... Imagination developed through art, combined with logic may have given early humans an evolutionary advantage human! The Church would provide centralized authority and education without water '', `` U.N services by reason of blood.! English: Translation of being for Arabic Speakers and female sexes concern the human tribe Hominini! Of your lists below, or generous behavior or disposition: the quality or state of physical, mental social! 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