But we’ve learned quite a lot of fascinating things about the human body this year, too, in relation to topics ranging from eye and uterus transplants to vitamin D levels and aging.

An ambitious project launched in 2016 has made a dent in one of biology’s greatest challenges — with more than 3,600 researchers profiling more than 100 million cells.

“It’s about showing the Filipino child that science is not something foreign or unreachable. It’s theirs. It’s now,” said ...