[Pat Hines]

Pat Hines  asked the Naked Scientists:

Hello
 
I enjoy your podcast and have a curious question.
 
The two halves of our face are slightly different in appearance and do not match, is this have anything to do with how long we lay on our side sleeping?

Cheers

Len Hines
St. Louis

What do you think?

[Soul Surfer]

Human beings are not built from a precise set of plans like an engine or a computer.  Most of the information is instructions on how to build a working cell then there are a few instructions on how to vary this basic pattern to build different sorts of cells then there are a few extra instructions on how these cells should be arranged to build a vertebrate animal finally there are a few extra instructions on how to adjust this basic pattern to build a human being.  The instructions are also interpreted locally when they are needed so although  there is an overall symmetry there are slight differences locally for all sorts of reasons.

There are very much more radical differences in people between routes of even major nerves and blood vessels and surgeons have to be very careful to check things out as they perform operations.

[AB Hammer]

LOL I thought it was because our moms smacked us on the same side of the face, when we where told to shut up. 

[Alan McDougall]

Pat

It is a lucky thing that most faces are slightly asymmetrical. The asymmetrical gives us our uniqueness and character

A completely symmetrical face can be beautiful but bland and even robot like

Anyway that is my opinion

Alan