History of Clothing

There is no information about when we started using clothes. However, Anthropologists think that animal skins and vegetation were adapted as protection from weather conditions in ancient times. There is the other idea that clothing may have been invented first for the purposes, such as magic, decoration, cult or prestige, and later-on found as means of protection. There are various archeological findings by wan of representation of clothing in art which can help to determine when particular clothing appeared in history.

During the Stone Age, textiles appeared in the Middle East. There is also evidence that humans may have begun wearing clothing somewhere from 100,000 to 500,000 years ago. Primitive sewing needles have been found which dated back to around 40,000 years ago. Dyed flax fibers which have been found in a prehistoric cave in the Republic of Georgia are old some 36,000 years. Some 25,000 years ago the Venus figurines started appearing in Europe, that were depicted with clothing having also basket hats or caps, belts at the waist and a strap of cloth above the breast.

First material used for clothing that was not leather. Nålebinding, which is another early textile method - a type of precursor of knitting, appeared somewhere in 6500 BC as some evidence tells. At a Neolithic site at Çatalhöyük in Anatolia were found oldest known woven textiles of the Near East. They were used for wrapping the dead. Flax was cultivated from c. 8000 BC in the Near East but sheep are bred much later in 3000BC. Cotton was used for clothing in Ancient India from 5th millennium BC. Linen cloth was made in Ancient Egypt from the Neolithic period. Flax was grown even earlier. Ancient Egypt also knew about different spinning techniques like the drop spindle, hand-to-hand spinning, and rolling on the thigh as well as about horizontal ground loom and vertical two-beam loom which came from Asia.

The earliest proof of silk production in China dates from between 5000 and 3000 BC and is in the form of cocoon of the domesticated silkworm which was cut in half by a sharp knife. Japan started with weaving in Jōmon period which lasted from 12,000 BC to 300BC. There is evidence of pottery figurines that were depicted with clothing and a piece of cloth made from bark fibers dating from 5500BC. Some primitive needles were also found as well as hemp fibers and pattern imprints on pottery which proves existence of weaving techniques in Japan at that time. Silk Road was very important for exchange of luxury textiles between East and West. It helped in the development of the great civilizations of China, Egypt, Mesopotamia, Persia, the Indian subcontinent and Rome that traded along the route.

How drinking soda helps us during indigestion?

Soda or carbonated water is water in which low levels of pressurized carbon dioxide has been dissolved, thus creating carbonic acid. Soda water causes bloating, which stretches the stomach. Mechanoreceptors in the stomach detect the stretching resulting in parasympathetic innervations to gastrointestinal (GI) smooth muscles. This results in an increase in GI motility.

Since soda water is in a liquid form and thus easily passes down the oesophagus and the lower oesophageal sphincter relaxes and opens to allow its entrance into the stomach. The upper part of stomach relaxes to store the swallowed soda water. The digestive glands in the stomach lining produce hydrochloric acid, containing pepsin. Stomach mixes the digestive juices with soda water. Upon reaching the small intestine, soda water mixes with secretions produced by the pancreas and liver.

When the stomach is empty, soda water passes rapidly in to the duodenum where carbon dioxide is transformed into bicarbonate. The carbon dioxide dissolved is rapidly released in gaseous form as the fluid is warmed. The free carbon dioxide may be belched if the expanding gas increases the pressure and stimulates the gastric fundus, triggering the belching mechanism. Distention of gastric fundus can increase transient lower oesophageal sphincter relaxation. If the soda water is taken while or after eating it tends to localize in the upper part of stomach and will produce feeling of fullness. Hence, carbonated water seems to influence stomach function by both mechanical and chemical effects.

Why do we not smell the fragrance of perfume on our body after 10 - 15 minutes of usage, whereas others can smell it for a long time?

Smell is something not peculiar to human.  In animals, it has no apparent appreciations, but there is good amount of identification by the animals.  Not only dogs but all animals, have good sense of identification of smell.  In humans, it is highly adaptive.  The sense of smell is picked up by bare nerve endings from a place called cribriform plate situated at the base of skull and at the roof of nose.

From that a cluster of nerves called the olfactory bulb reaches the uncinate gyrus, a place of recognition of smell.  The cortex is the highest place, where the type of smell is recognized.  Thus volleys of impulses reach this cortex from olfactory nerves. There is a peculiar phenomena for all sensory nerves.

When stimulation is continuous, the rate of firing of discharges becomes less from the nerve cells, unless renewed again with different wave length of stimulus.  For example we do not realize wearing our shirt or shoes after some time unless it becomes uncomfortable. This phenomenon is called sense of adaptation.  The same works with smell also as continuous stimulation of olfactory nerves, reduces the volleys of neuronal stimulation less, and becomes more adaptive. Even the bad smell of rotten food, or animals, death etc may be identified by the new comer to that place, but the residents may not realize. A fisherman does not identify the smell of dry fish, but others can identify it. Likewise, the non realization of perfumes by the person wearing the perfume becomes adaptive, while when others pass by that person they may realize the smell of the perfumes.

Why does one’s face look puffed up after a long sleep?

Head and face are nearest to the heart which pumps blood to all parts of the body. While one sleeps, they are in the same level with the heart and blood flows to them freely, which if continued for a long time (long sleep), puffs up the face.