<description>&lt;p&gt;The human body, it turns out, is surprisingly good at making stone. Give it enough time and the right conditions and it will go about crystallising minerals, hardening secretions and, in rare cases, turning tragedy into rock. Gallstones. Kidney stones. Tonsil stones. Salivary stones. And, in one of the strangest and saddest corners of medical history, stone babies.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In our second episode, hosts Katie Edwards, a health editor at The Conversation, and &lt;u&gt;&lt;a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/dan-baumgardt-1451396" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;Dan Baumgardt&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/u&gt;, a practising GP and lecturer in health and life sciences at the University of Bristol, take a tour through the stony side of human anatomy and ask why this keeps happening, where these stones form and which ones you actually need to worry about. They talk to &lt;a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/adam-taylor-283950" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;Adam Taylor&lt;/a&gt;, a professor of anatomy at Lancaster University, who has spent years studying stones in both everyday and extraordinary contexts, including a rare genetic condition called alkaptonuria&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Strange Health is a podcast from The Conversation is an independent, not-for-profit news organisation. If you like the show, please consider &lt;a href="https://tcnv.link/2S1cahf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;donating to&lt;/a&gt; support our work. You can &lt;a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/newsletters/the-daily-2" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;sign up here for a free daily newsletter&lt;/a&gt; from The Conversation here.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Hosts: Katie Edwards and Dan Baumgardt&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Executive Producer: Gemma Ware&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Editing and mixing: Sikander Khan&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Artwork: Alice Mason&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href="https://theconversation.com/stone-baby-the-rare-condition-that-produces-a-calcified-foetus-274178"&gt;Stone baby: the rare condition that produces a calcified foetus&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href="https://theconversation.com/our-bodies-dont-just-make-gall-and-kidney-stones-from-saliva-to-tonsils-these-are-other-ones-to-look-out-for-229976"&gt;Our bodies don’t just make gall and kidney stones – from saliva to tonsils, these are other ones to look out for&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href="https://theconversation.com/bubble-teas-dark-side-from-lead-contamination-to-kidney-stones-266299"&gt;Bubble tea’s dark side: from lead contamination to kidney stones&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;br/&gt;</description>

Strange Health

The Conversation

Tonsils, kidneys and gall: why your body makes stones

JAN 27, 202626 MIN
Strange Health

Tonsils, kidneys and gall: why your body makes stones

JAN 27, 202626 MIN

Description

The human body, it turns out, is surprisingly good at making stone. Give it enough time and the right conditions and it will go about crystallising minerals, hardening secretions and, in rare cases, turning tragedy into rock. Gallstones. Kidney stones. Tonsil stones. Salivary stones. And, in one of the strangest and saddest corners of medical history, stone babies.In our second episode, hosts Katie Edwards, a health editor at The Conversation, and Dan Baumgardt, a practising GP and lecturer in health and life sciences at the University of Bristol, take a tour through the stony side of human anatomy and ask why this keeps happening, where these stones form and which ones you actually need to worry about. They talk to Adam Taylor, a professor of anatomy at Lancaster University, who has spent years studying stones in both everyday and extraordinary contexts, including a rare genetic condition called alkaptonuriaStrange Health is a podcast from The Conversation is an independent, not-for-profit news organisation. If you like the show, please consider donating to support our work. You can sign up here for a free daily newsletter from The Conversation here.Hosts: Katie Edwards and Dan BaumgardtExecutive Producer: Gemma WareEditing and mixing: Sikander KhanArtwork: Alice MasonStone baby: the rare condition that produces a calcified foetusOur bodies don’t just make gall and kidney stones – from saliva to tonsils, these are other ones to look out forBubble tea’s dark side: from lead contamination to kidney stones