What is farting?

[Waterman]

Why was farting created? I mean couldn't our bodies work without farting? I hate it when I'm sitting down and I have the urge to fart and when I do this disgusting smell comes. I am so lost in this universe full of farting, couldn't we just stick to burping? What's causing this irrational behaviour in our bodies?

[Queso]

it's gas passing through your intestines, and not just your stomache. welcome to hypography :)

[Waterman]

why?

[Queso]

i'll be honest and say i'm not an expert on this subject, but we ingest air, or carbonation for example, which is air that takes up space inside of us that along with food must be released.

[TINNY]

we ingest air, or carbonation for example, which is air that takes up space inside of us that along with food must be released.

not just ingestion of air, but also respiration of bacteria in our digestive system, specifically the intestines.

[MortenS]

I have this book, called a REsearch Guide to bodily fluids, by Paul Spinrad, and it contains about everything you want to know, and quite a few facts you probably didn't want to know about most of the yucky stuff our bodies excrete in some way or another.

 

Anyway, nitrogen, oxygen and carbondioxide provide most of the volume of a fart. Hydrogen and methane makes it flamable, and hydrogensulfide makes it smelly.

Also some more complex chemicals, like indole and scatole that add to the individual characteristics of the fart.

 

There are a few components of the fart you can somewhat control:

Nitrogen and oxygen, comes from swallowed air. If you eat too quick, swallow air, sigh a lot or do any other activity that cause more air to enter the digestive system, you add volume to the fart. Nitrogen and oxygen does not add anything to the smell, but they might add to the sound, due to the increased volume. Hydrogen, methane and hydrogensulfide are bi-products of bacteria living in our digestive system, particulary present in the large intestines. The more food you eat that goes past the small intestines without being digested by you, the more material you provide for the bacteria, and the more farts you will make.

 

What food you eat will greatly influence what kind of farts you make. Some diseases can also increase the rate and volume of farting, like people with lactase deficiency if they drink some milk.

[C1ay]

Why was farting created? I mean couldn't our bodies work without farting? I hate it when I'm sitting down and I have the urge to fart and when I do this disgusting smell comes. I am so lost in this universe full of farting, couldn't we just stick to burping? What's causing this irrational behaviour in our bodies?

Farting is an indication that you are getting enough fiber in your diet.

[Biochemist]

Why was farting created?

I am intriqued by the implication in this question that farts have a deeper purpose, not just an existence: They were Created.

 

It should be noted that "fart" is not defined in the medical literature. It has even been reported in the New England Journal of Medicine that there a a need for an accepted defintion (noted in the Journal as a "fart healt" need).

 

We have a definition for flatus (gas or air in the gastrointestinal tract) and even a word for the noise caused by flatus (borborygmus: rumbling noises caused by propulsion of flatus through the intestines). However, there is no explicit medical terminology for the sudden ejection of flatus through the anus. Oddly, there actually is one for the analogous occurence from the vagina (e.g., flatus vaginalis) but not for the poor anus.

 

It was suggested (in the mid 70's, in the Journal of Irreprodicuble Results) that the medical sciences agree on a consistent defition of both "burp" and "fart". The suggestion was that we assign the "fart" term to any passage of gas through the GI tract in the prodromal direction. Further, it was suggested that we assign "burp" to any passage of GI gas in the antidromal direction. When it was noted that this definition would define intake of air through the mouth as a fart, most thought this was unworkable. Intake of air through the anus would also be considered a "burp" by this defintion, but this was not viewed as so much of a problem, since it only applied to some circus performers and yoga practitioners.

 

Ergo, "fart" remains technically undefined. And yet, broadly understood.

I mean couldn't our bodies work without farting?

Yes, but calculations suggest that without farting, the typical human female would reach an approximate volume of 1.7 cubic miles at death. Males would typically retain their standard volume, since they invaribaly have a nearby associate "pull their finger" at an appropriate time to keep their body volume normative.

I hate it when I'm sitting down and I have the urge to fart and when I do this disgusting smell comes.

It sounds to me like you should just consider standing up.

I am so lost in this universe full of farting, couldn't we just stick to burping? What's causing this irrational behaviour in our bodies?

Back to your original question, farts do have a purpose. There are entire moveis that would not have any moments of levity if not for an unplanned gaseous release from the audience. I think, personally, that farts were Created by God to provide moments of levity. Really big ones even provide moments of levitation, but that is somewhat uncommon.

[Fishteacher73]

I am intriqued by the implication in this question that farts have a deeper purpose, not just an existence: They were Created.

 

We have a definition for flatus (gas or air in the gastrointestinal tract) and even a word for the noise caused by flatus (borborygmus: rumbling noises caused by propulsion of flatus through the intestines). However, there is no explicit medical terminology for the sudden ejection of flatus through the anus. Oddly, there actually is one for the analogous occurence from the vagina (e.g., flatus vaginalis) but not for the poor anus.

 

 

On the 7th day god said, "Let there be GAS!" And it was good. (Perhaps Michaelangelo was inferring that God was about to oull Adam's finger on the Sistine Chapel :) )

 

Would the term flatulation and flatulence?

[Biochemist]

On the 7th day god said, "Let there be GAS!" And it was good. (Perhaps Michaelangelo was inferring that God was about to oull Adam's finger on the Sistine Chapel :)

I think this is a pretty keen insight. And given that I just heard the Conclave has selected a new Pope form the confines of the Sistine Chapel, perhaps that puff of white smoke is actually the result of God pulling on Adam's finger!

[Fishteacher73]

Pope Flatulant the Turd....(oops..Third) :)

[Queso]

haha i don't care how old i get, stuff like that will always be funny to me. :)

[MortenS]

Since there are no scientific words for farts from the anus, we need to rectify that. Here are some suggested names for farts, and even an attempt at classifying different ones.

 

General fart:

Flatus anusi

from latin: flatus - blowing, anusi - plural of anus - ring

 

A loud fart:

Flatus anusi magnum

from latin: magnum - loud

 

A silent but deadly fart

Flatus anusi tacitufunestus

From latin: tacitus - silent, funestus - deadly

 

A carpet creeping fart

Flatus anusi gravitardelatus

from latin: gravis - heavy, tarde - slow, latus - wide

 

A smelly fart:

Flatus anusi olidus

from latin: olidus - smelly

[Turtle]

A change your shorts fart:

Flatus anusi hydrous driputi

[Turtle]

A fake fart from a woopy cushion:

Flatus anusi simulatus

[MortenS]

Nice ones, Turtle...

[Biochemist]

Since there are no scientific words for farts from the anus, we need to rectify that. Here are some suggested names for farts, and even an attempt at classifying different ones.

 

General fart:

Flatus anusi

from latin: flatus - blowing, anusi - plural of anus....

All great suggestions, but I think we probably should use Flatus Anusalis to be consistist with the usage for eruptions form other cavities (per my post above.)

 

Besides, I don't think we ought to assume that "anus" should be plural. Although if they were plural, some folks could fart in stereo. Americal Idol, here we come.