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Dear Just Curious:
You have a bellybutton and so does every other human. In fact, virtually every other mammal has
something like a bellybutton. Why? Because it's all part of the way you were born -- alive and
attached to your mother.
Huh? It all goes back to before you were born. When you were growing inside your mom's belly,
you needed food and oxygen to keep you alive, but you couldn't eat and your lungs didn't yet work.
So how was your life sustained? You had a lifeline that took care of all your needs. A cord of
living tissue called an umbilical cord literally connected you to your mother's uterus. Like an
astronaut in a space suit connected to the main spaceship, you floated in a warm, wet, protective
sac, connected to the mothership. The umbilical cord delivered nutrients and oxygenated blood to
you and removed wastes that your body made.
When you came out of your mother's body, the protective sac and the attached cord came out
with you. You began to breathe on your own, and a doctor, nurse, or parent cut the cord. Then a
small clip, like the kind you put on an open potato chip package, was placed at the end. Soon the
small piece of remaining cord dried up and fell off.
If the whole cord stump fell off right at your belly, you were left with an "innie"
bellybutton. If the cord fell off a small distance from your belly, you have an "outie," or a
bellybutton that sticks out. And check this out! In some cultures, your family may have kept your
cord as a memento of your birth!
Signed,
Wendell
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