Human being | Mental Health, Emotions & Behavior

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[{"p":1,"t":275376},{"p":10,"t":275670},{"p":2,"t":275485},{"p":11,"t":275332},{"p":2,"t":146289},{"p":8,"t":289766},{"p":13,"t":275932},{"p":5,"t":1350865},{"p":1,"t":1998212},{"p":1,"t":2237111}], "sequence": 1, "topics": {} }); </script> <article class="article-content container-lg qa-content px-0 pt-0 pb-40 py-lg-20 content " data-topic-id="275376"> <div class="grid gx-0"> <div class="col-auto"> <div class="topic-left-rail md-article-drawer position-relative d-flex border-right-sm border-left-sm open"> <div class="drawer d-flex flex-column open"> <div class="left-rail-section-content"> <div class="topic-left-rail-header text-truncate bg-gray-50 position-relative text-right d-flex align-items-center"> <div class="tlr-title px-20 py-15 text-left"> <em class="material-icons text-gray-400 d-lg-none" data-icon="toc"></em> <a class="font-serif font-weight-bold text-black link-blue" href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/human-being">human being</a> </div> <button aria-label="Close" class="js-sections-close-button btn-link btn-sm btn d-lg-none position-absolute top-0 p-10 right-0" > <em class="material-icons font-26" data-icon="close"></em> </button> </div> <div class="section-content pl-10 pr-20 pl-sm-50 pr-sm-60 pl-lg-5 pr-lg-10 pt-10 pt-lg-0 bg-gray-50 clear-catfish-ad"> <div class="toc mb-20"> <div class="font-serif font-14 font-weight-bold mx-15 mb-15 mt-20"> Table of Contents </div> <span class="toc-extra-link selected link-gray-900 mt-15"> Introduction </span> <a class="toc-extra-link link-gray-900" href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/human-being/additional-info">References & Edit History</a> <a class="toc-extra-link link-gray-900" href="/facts/human-being">Quick Facts & Related Topics</a> </div> <div class="tlr-media-slider pb-10 mb-30"> <a class="section-header link-gray-900 font-serif font-14 font-weight-bold mb-10 mx-10" href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/human-being/images-videos">Images & Videos</a> <div class="slider js-slider position-relative d-inline-flex align-items-center mw-100 "> <div class="slider-container js-slider-container overflow-hidden d-flex overflow-hidden text-nowrap ml-15"> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/07/192107-050-CE043374/anatomy-charts-human-body-muscle-systems-skeletal.jpg" data-href="/media/1/275376/218753" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/07/192107-004-717A6CF2/anatomy-charts-human-body-muscle-systems-skeletal.jpg" alt="human body; human anatomy" height="50" /> </a> <a href="/video/What-is-the-difference-between-monkeys-and-apes/317816" data-href="/media/1/275376/317816" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <div class="position-relative --aspect-ratio: 16/9"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/63/253563-138-CEF72337/What-is-the-difference-between-monkeys-and-apes.jpg?w=400&h=225&c=crop" alt="The video thumbnail image shows two black and white photos of monkey and ape heads, surrounded by blue and pink circles." class="col-100" /> <div class="btn btn-sm btn-white btn-circle position-absolute shadow" style="top: 50%; left:50%; transform: translate(-50%, -50%)"> <em class="material-icons font-14" data-icon="play_arrow" > </em> </div> </div> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/97/76397-050-29DB2594/Human-being.jpg" data-href="/media/1/275376/71625" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/97/76397-120-5443FCF7/Human-being.jpg" alt="human being (Homo sapiens)" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/73/94773-004-CF083BB1/embryos-animals-stages-another-development-forms-progress.jpg" data-href="/media/1/275376/121620" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/73/94773-004-CF083BB1/embryos-animals-stages-another-development-forms-progress.jpg" alt="embryos of different animals" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/98/134098-050-74787960/bones-humanoid-human.jpg" data-href="/media/1/275376/138389" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/98/134098-004-AC7325D1/bones-humanoid-human.jpg" alt="carpal bones" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/49/92849-004-83081108/hand-structure-human-being-gorilla.jpg" data-href="/media/1/275376/141539" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/49/92849-004-83081108/hand-structure-human-being-gorilla.jpg" alt="human and gorilla hands compared" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/60/94660-050-DC91376F/divergence-humans-apes-ancestor.jpg" data-href="/media/1/275376/141800" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/60/94660-004-A1B610BF/divergence-humans-apes-ancestor.jpg" alt="human evolution" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/36/79536-050-BE1C475B/human-lineage-hominins-members-lineages-apes-interpretations.jpg" data-href="/media/1/275376/73009" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/36/79536-004-6945A5F0/human-lineage-hominins-members-lineages-apes-interpretations.jpg" alt="human lineage" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/77/103777-050-CAB5DA86/Maximum-life-spans-for-selected-animals-how-long-animals-live.jpg" data-href="/media/1/275376/147299" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/77/103777-159-EE17B786/Maximum-life-spans-for-selected-animals-how-long-animals-live.jpg" alt="How long do animals live?" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/92/76392-050-88161966/apes.jpg" data-href="/media/1/275376/71620" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/92/76392-004-BC88749E/apes.jpg" alt="species of apes" height="50" /> </a> </div> <button disabled class="prev-button js-prev-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-blue " aria-label="Previous"> <span class="material-icons md-24" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_left"></span> </button> <button disabled class="next-button js-next-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-blue " aria-label="Next"> <span class="material-icons md-24" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></span> </button> </div> </div> <div class="mb-30 tlr-related-quizzes"> <div class="text-gray-900 p-5 font-serif font-14 font-weight-bold mx-10 mb-10"> Quizzes </div> <div class="imagelink-with-image-on-the-side card card-horizontal tlr-img-with-side-link ml-15 link-gray-900 mb-10" > <div class="position-relative card-media" style="flex: 0;"> <a class="ilf-image position-relative" href="/quiz/know-your-mammals-quiz"> <img loading="lazy" 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They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.</div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor text-decoration-underline"> The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</span></div> <div class="last-updated font-12 font-serif"> <span class="text-gray-700"> Last Updated: <time datetime="2025-02-21T00:00:00CST" >Feb 21, 2025</time> •</span> <a class="byline-edit-history" href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/human-being/additional-info#history" rel="nofollow">Article History</a> </div></div> </div> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button d-none d-sm-block js-sections-inline-button module-spacing btn d-lg-none"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <div class="d-flex d-sm-none flex-row"> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button js-sections-inline-button module-spacing"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <button class="ai-ask-button btn btn-sm border-2 btn-outline-red-400 border-red-400 module-spacing js-inline-ai-ask-button p-10 ml-5"> Ask the Chatbot </button> </div> <div class="js-qf-module qf-module px-40 px-sm-20 py-15 mx-auto module-spacing font-14 bg-gray-50 rounded"> <div class="facts-list mt-10"> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Key People: </dt> <dd><a href="/biography/Hwang-Woo-Suk" topicid="1010536">Hwang Woo-Suk</a></dd> <dd><a href="/biography/Severino-Antinori" topicid="760130">Severino Antinori</a></dd> <dd><a href="/biography/Moon-Shin-Yong" topicid="1010539">Moon Shin Yong</a></dd> <dd><a href="/biography/Herophilus" topicid="263634">Herophilus</a></dd> <dd><a href="/biography/Elman-Rogers-Service" topicid="535974">Elman Rogers Service</a></dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Related Topics: </dt> <dd><a href="/science/anthropology" topicid="27505">anthropology</a></dd> <dd><a href="/topic/race-human" topicid="488030">race</a></dd> <dd><a href="/topic/philosophical-anthropology" topicid="456743">philosophical anthropology</a></dd> <dd><a href="/science/human-evolution" topicid="275670">human evolution</a></dd> <dd><a href="/topic/person-society" topicid="452903">person</a></dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> <div class="text-center"> <a class="btn btn-sm btn-link p-0" href="/facts/human-being"> See all related content </a> </div> </div> </div> </div><div class="bg-gray-50 p-15 rounded module-spacing recent-news d-flex flex-column float-false"> <div> <h2 class="font-weight-bold font-14 m-0 d-inline"> News <span class="text-gray-600">•</span> </h2> <div class="recent-news-item first-recent-news-item d-inline"> <a class="font-14 gtm-ap-news-link" href="https://www.jpost.com/archaeology/archaeology-around-the-world/article-842785" rel="nofollow">80,000-year-old Homo sapiens stone blades discovered in Arabia</a> <span class="font-14 text-gray-600"> <span>•</span> Feb. 20, 2025, 2:00 AM ET (Jerusalem Post) </span> </div> </div> <div class="rest-of-recent-news-items"> <button class="js-toggle-recent-news d-flex btn btn-unstyled font-14 pr-10 rounded-sm mt-10" aria-label="Toggle additional news items"> Show less <em class="material-icons" data-icon="expand_less"></em> </button> </div> </div><span class="marker before-article"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref1"><span class="marker PREMOD1 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph"><strong><span id="ref220110"></span>human being</strong>, a culture-bearing <a href="https://www.britannica.com/animal/primate-mammal" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">primate</a> classified in the genus <em>Homo</em>, especially the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/species-taxon" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">species</a> <em>H. sapiens</em>. Human beings are anatomically similar and related to the great <a href="https://www.britannica.com/animal/ape" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">apes</a> but are distinguished by a more highly developed <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/brain" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">brain</a> and a resultant capacity for <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="articulate" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/articulate" data-type="MW">articulate</a> <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/speech-language" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">speech</a> and abstract <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/reason" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">reasoning</a>. In addition, human beings display a marked erectness of body carriage that frees the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/hand-anatomy" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">hands</a> for use as manipulative members. Some of these characteristics, however, are not entirely unique to humans. The gap in <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/cognition-thought-process" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">cognition</a>, as in anatomy, between humans and the great <a href="https://www.britannica.com/animal/ape" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">apes</a> (<a href="https://www.britannica.com/animal/orangutan" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">orangutans</a>, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/animal/Gorilla-primate-genus" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">gorillas</a>, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/animal/chimpanzee" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">chimpanzees</a>, and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/animal/bonobo" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">bonobos</a>) is much less than was once thought, as they have been shown to possess a variety of advanced <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="cognitive" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cognitive" data-type="MW">cognitive</a> abilities formerly believed to be restricted to humans.</p><span class="marker MOD1 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD2 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph"><em><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Our-Nonconscious-Future-2119857" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">(Read Yuval Noah Harari’s Britannica essay on the future of “Nonconscious Man.”)</a></em></p><span class="marker MOD2 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD3 mod-inline"></span><div class="assemblies"><div class="w-100"><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="317816" data-asm-type="video"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media" data-type="video" video-id="253563"><a data-id="253563" class="gtm-assembly-link d-flex justify-content-center" style="--aspect-ratio: 16/9" href="/video/What-is-the-difference-between-monkeys-and-apes/-317816"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/63/253563-138-CEF72337/What-is-the-difference-between-monkeys-and-apes.jpg?w=800&h=450&c=crop" alt="The video thumbnail image shows two black and white photos of monkey and ape heads, surrounded by blue and pink circles." loading="lazy"><script type="application/json"> { "sources": [ { "file" : "//content.jwplatform.com/manifests/ZVdddgvJ.m3u8" } ], "image": "https://cdn.britannica.com/63/253563-138-CEF72337/What-is-the-difference-between-monkeys-and-apes.jpg" ,"tracks": [ { "file" : "//assets-jpcust.jwpsrv.com/tracks/b4ZZMvwK.vtt", "label": "English" } ] ,"adfile": "//content.jwplatform.com/manifests/Itc8gGg7.m3u8" } </script><div class="btn btn-xl btn-white btn-circle position-absolute shadow" style="top: 50%; transform: translateY(-50%)"><em class="material-icons" data-icon="play_arrow"></em></div></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><span class="md-assembly-title font-weight-bold mr-5 d-inline font-sans-serif md-video-caption" video-control="253563">Monkeys vs. apes: What's the difference?</span><span>When in doubt, check for a tail.</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div><a class="font-14 mt-10 d-inline-block" href="/topic/human-being/images-videos">See all videos for this article</a></figcaption></figure></div></div><p class="topic-paragraph">Traditionally, humans were considered the sole recent representatives of the family <a href="https://www.britannica.com/animal/Hominidae" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Hominidae</a>, but recent findings indicate that chimpanzees and bonobos are more closely related to humans than are gorillas and orangutans and that the last common ancestor between the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/animal/chimpanzee" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">chimpanzee</a> and human lines lived sometime between seven million and six million years ago. Therefore, all great apes are now gathered with humans into Hominidae, and within that family humans and their extinct ancestors are considered to make up the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/tribe-anthropology" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">tribe</a> <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/hominin" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Hominini</a>. <em>See also</em> <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Homo-sapiens" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true"><em>Homo sapiens</em></a>; <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/human-evolution" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">human evolution</a>.</p><a class="link-module shadow-sm d-block qa-quiz-module" href="/quiz/know-your-mammals-quiz" data-link-module-iframe-link=""> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/55/75855-131-8F7C36A7/giraffe-Kenya.jpg" alt="Giraffe standing in grass, Kenya." class="rounded-sm mr-15" width="70" /> <div class="line-clamp clamp-5"> <div class="module-title bg-green">Britannica Quiz</div> <div class="font-weight-semi-bold mt-5">Know Your Mammals Quiz </div> </div> </a><span class="marker MOD3 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD4 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph"><em><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Nonbiological-Man-Hes-Closer-Than-You-Think-2118807" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">(Read Ray Kurzweil’s Britannica essay on the future of “Nonbiological Man.”)</a></em></p><div class="one-good-fact-module"> </div><span class="marker MOD4 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD5 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">The term <em>man</em> has traditionally referred to humans in general, or humankind. The <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/idea" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">idea</a> of man is treated in a number of articles. For a philosophical <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="treatment" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/treatment" data-type="EB">treatment</a> of the subject, <em>see</em> <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/philosophical-anthropology" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">philosophical anthropology</a>. For the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/physical-anthropology" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">physical anthropology</a> of human ancestry, <em>see</em> <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/human-evolution" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">human evolution</a>. For an examination of human <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/culture" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">culture</a>, <em>see</em> <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/visual-arts" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">art</a>; <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/cuisine" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">cuisine</a>; <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/dance" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">dance</a>; <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/government" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">government</a>; <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/literature" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">literature</a>; <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/music" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">music</a>; <a href="https://www.britannica.com/sports/sports" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">sport</a>. For other related articles, <em>see</em> <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/collective-behaviour" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">collective behaviour</a>; <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/death" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">death</a>; <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/emotion" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">emotion</a>; <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/family-kinship" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">family</a>; <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/human-behavior" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">human behaviour</a>; <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/human-rights" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">human rights</a>; <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/human-intelligence-psychology" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">intelligence</a>; <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/kinship" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">kinship</a>; <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/language" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">language</a>; <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/learning-theory" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">learning theory</a>; <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/philosophy-of-mind" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">mind, philosophy of</a>; <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/motivation" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">motivation</a>; <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/perception" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">perception</a>; <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/personality" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">personality</a>; <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/population-biology-and-anthropology" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">population</a>; <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/human-sexual-activity" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">sexual behaviour, human</a>; <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/social-structure" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">social structure</a>; <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/Stone-Age" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Stone Age</a>; <a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/technology" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">technology</a>; <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/thought" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">thought</a>. </p><span class="marker MOD5 mod-inline"></span></section> <span class="md-signature font-12"><a href="/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419">The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</a></span> <span class="md-signature font-12">This article was most recently revised and updated by <a href="/editor/Meg-Matthias/12593612">Meg Matthias</a>.</span><span class="marker end-of-content"></span><span class="marker after-article"></span></div> <div id="chatbot-simplify-root"></div> <div id="chatbot-root"></div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="ai-dialog-placeholder"></div> </div> </div> <aside class="col-md-da-320"></aside> </div> </div> </div> </div> </article> </div> </div> </div> </div> </main> <div id="md-footer"></div> <noscript><iframe src="//www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-5W6NC8" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"></iframe></noscript>  <script> window.ap3c = window.ap3c || {}; 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