What, exactly, do you know about your body? Do you know how your immune system works? Or what your pancreas does? Or the myriad -- and often simple -- ways you can improve the way your body functions? This full-color, visually rich guide answers these questions and more. Matthew MacDonald, noted author of Your Brain: The Missing Manual, takes you on a fascinating tour of your body from the outside in, beginning with your skin and progressing to your vital organs. You'll look at the quirks, curiosities, and shortcomings we've all learned to live with, and pick up just enough biology to understand how your body works. You'll learn:

The Missing Credits;About the Author;About the Creative Team;Acknowledgments;The Missing Manual Series;Introduction;About This Book;Part I: From the Outside In;Chapter 1: Skin: Your Outer Layer;1.1 The Protective Wrapper;1.2 Skin and the Sun;1.3 Going Deeper;1.4 The Oil Factory;1.5 Your Temperature Control System;1.6 Hair;Chapter 2: Fat;2.1 The Purpose of Fat;2.2 Fat Up Close;2.3 Taking Stock of Your Body Fat;2.4 Where Fat Lives;2.5 Understanding Your Body's Anti-Starvation System;Chapter 3: Muscles;3.1 Meet Your Muscles;3.2 Exercise;3.3 A Grab Bag of Strength Exercises;Chapter 4: Bones;4.1 The Skeletal System;4.2 Living Bone;4.3 Joints;4.4 Your Spine;Chapter 5: The Doors of Perception;5.1 Vision;5.2 Hearing;5.3 Smell;5.4 Taste;Part II: The Machinery Inside;Chapter 6: Your Lungs;6.1 The Respiratory System;6.2 Breathing;6.3 The Path to Your Lungs;6.4 Your Voice;6.5 Pollution;Chapter 7: Your Heart;7.1 The Pump Inside;7.2 The Circulatory System;7.3 Heart Attacks;7.4 Cardio Exercise;Chapter 8: Your Digestive System;8.1 In Your Mouth;8.2 Your Stomach;8.3 Your Small Intestine;8.4 Your Large Intestine;Chapter 9: Your Immune System;9.1 Self-Defense;9.2 Bacteria;9.3 Viruses;9.4 Cancer;9.5 Flaws in the System;Part III: Sex and Death;Chapter 10: Sex and Reproduction;10.1 Male Sex Organs;10.2 Female Sex Organs;10.3 The Main Event;Chapter 11: Your Final Exit: Aging and Death;11.1 Life Expectancy;11.2 Why We Die;11.3 Aging;11.4 The Anatomy of Death;The Final Word;