Can you name the largest organ in the body?

12:31 PM Tuesday Oct 23, 2012

How much do you know about the human body?Photo / Thinkstock

It may be basic biology but the majority of British people cannot name the largest organ in the body, according to a survey.

A total of 75 per cent of people said they did not know it was the skin, while almost half (47 per cent) of people admitted to wrongly self-diagnosing an illness.

Perhaps in a sign of the times, findings also revealed more than half (58 per cent) of people prefer to check the internet about symptoms before consulting a doctor.

The survey of 2000 people, commissioned to coincide with the release of the eighth series of medical drama House on DVD, showed just under half of people believed their lungs were the largest organ in their bodies.

Demonstrating further confusion, 64 per cent and 43 per cent were unable able to correctly place their spleen and liver.

The research also revealed nearly one in 10 turned to television shows such as Embarrassing Bodies, Casualty, Doctors and House to self-diagnose medical conditions.

One in 20 have overheard someone talking about an illness and used this information to self-diagnose, while one in 50 have heard of a celebrity's illness, such as Lady Gaga's lupus or Jade Goody's cervical cancer, and applied the symptoms to themselves.

Jane Druker, editor of Healthy magazine, said: "Increasingly, TV shows such as House are making people more aware of looking after their own health. However, it's really worrying that so many Brits are self-medicating an illness rather than consulting with a GP.

"With nearly half of people wrongly self-diagnosing an illness, this can lead to a great deal of unnecessary additional stress that could be avoided by simply asking a professional."

- PAA

Debate on this article is now closed.

Dave (Northland) | 12:17PM Tuesday, 23 Oct 2012

Mmm.Trick question because it asks "in",and not "of". Ah well.got that one wrong by trying to analyse it too much.Darn it

HannahMay (New Zealand) | 12:17PM Tuesday, 23 Oct 2012

I DO know the largest organ in the body. But, I also have used the internet to sus out symptoms. And I've only been wrong once. I thought I had a rumbling appendix, having seen other family members with these symptoms, and checked the internet to confirm thoughts before going to the doctor. My GP also thought I had a rumbling appendix, so I felt triumphant in my diagnostic abilities, but in the end, it turned out I had a ruptured ovarian cyst, and had surgery to clean it up, and they removed my appendix at the same time.
I am now in very early pregnancy, and I have to say that the internet IS helpful at placating worries about early pregnancy niggles. In saying that, I would call Healthline rather than trust the internet to establish whether medical attention is needed if anything felt really wrong.

The Cat (Wellington) | 12:17PM Tuesday, 23 Oct 2012

When I was young (born mid 60's) we weren't taught that the skin was an organ at all. It was just skin. Then, the organs were all internal. I still have trouble thinking of skin as an organ.
As for checking the internet, why wouldn't you? A visit to the doctor can be time consuming and is often an un-necessary expense, especially if the ailment turns out to be trivial. As long as you don't rely on one website and are thorough in your investigation, Dr Google can be a valuable resource.