About lips

What is there to say about lips? They’re essential equipment for eating and speaking, of course. And whistling. And kissing. And we’d look pretty silly without them, wouldn’t we?

But if you think that’s all there is to say—and know—about human lips, you’re in for a big surprise. Just take a look at our list of 13 fascinating facts about lips:

FACT: Your lips are unique.

Many animal species have lips, of course. But only human lips have such a distinct border between the pinkish, reddish parts and the surrounding skin, according to LiveScience. Scientists call this the “vermilion border.”

FACT: Your lips can help you choose a mate.

It’s hard to kiss without lips, and some scientists believe that kissing plays a key role in mate selection. It seems that locking lips brings potential mates close enough that they exchange biological information—via sniffing another’s pheromones. Women are believed to prefer the scent of men whose immune systems differ from their own—and pheromones may be a key to this determination.

FACT: That fleshy bump in the middle of your upper lip has a name.

In fact, that fleshy bump has a few names, including procheilion, labial tubercle, or tuberculum labii superioris.