Top 10 Record-Breaking Body Parts

The ten titleholders featured on this list exemplify that size – for better, for worse, and for just plain gross – certainly does matter. But while having something considered the largest of its kind in the world may have its advantages – pride, prestige, even fortune – being the biggest isn’t necessary the best.

While some of the distinctions in this collection may seem enviable, there are a variety of reasons why trading places with any of these folks would be a burden rather than a blessing. And as we’ll see, big isn’t always beautiful, either.

10 World Records That Have Never Been Broken

10 Heads

The Guinness World of Records is surprisingly vague^[1] about exactly whose noggin is heads and tails above the competition. It simply states that the largest skull ever documented in medical literature belonged to a UK man with a cranial capacity of 1,980 cm³ (120 in³). Though that certainly is a lot of headspace – average human cranial capacity ranges from 950–1,800 cm³, depending on age and body size – the entry does not reveal the age of the skull, which is important since human brain sizes have been shrinking since the Stone Age.^[2]

Guinness mentions that the skull’s dimensions were normal, meaning its extraordinary size couldn’t be attributed to disease. This is important, because several disorders can lead to an abnormally large skull. The most glaring recent example is the case of Mrityunjay Das, who suffered from a rare condition known as hydrocephalus. After Das’ head became so large that it was considered the world’s largest, doctors removed 3.7 LITERS – nearly a full gallon – of fluid from around his skull, reducing his head’s size from 96cm to 70cm.

Perhaps the most incredible part of the story is Das’ age: shown in these difficult to look at photos,^[3] at the time of the surgery he was just seven months old.

9 Tails