A list of human body parts that experts believe are useless. Are they really useless? Or perhaps the experts haven’t yet truly discovered their true functions.
A few years back, I was bothered by a stomach pain that required medical attention. I was diagnosed as having an acute appendicitis that needed an urgent operation. Since school classes had just started, my father asked the doctor if they could postpone the operation. But the doctors are too apprehensive, and said, “the healing process will only requires just a week, besides appendix is a useless organ”. Shocked and surprised to hear those statements, I begun questioning my self, “are there really are useless body parts?”
Now, I’ve done some researched and found out that experts believed there are at least 10 body parts that are useless. Before you continue reading the rest of the article, I will leave you a puzzling question: do you agree with the experts findings or you have a dissenting opinion. It is your call. Here is the list:
Plica Semilunaris
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Yes, you have a third eyelid and it is called the plica semilunaris. It is a small fold of bulbar conjunctiva located on the inner corner of the eye. An accessory organ of the eye, plica semilunaris is a left over from what’s known as a “nictitating membrane.” For most mammals, it is a vestigal organ, which is still present in chickens, lizards and sharks. But for humans, plica semilunaris serves an important purpose: it produces a fatty substance (rheum) that collects foreign bodies such as dirt and dust from entering the eye and damaging the cornea. This foreign bodies is then deposited hear the tear duct, ready to be brushed away in the morning.
Body Hair
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Three million years ago, human were once hairier. Earth temperature at that time was much colder than today so our body hair is a good insulation for the colder climate. But by the time Homo erectus arrived, the ability to sweat meant we could shed our woolly ways. Today, having much body hair is annoying that people having this predicament seek the help of dermatologists. Thanks to the now popular hair waxing, excess body hair are remove with ease. So the question arises, “Do we really need body hair?”
Sinuses
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Humans have four pairs of sinuses that are found in the bones of the head and face. These air-filled spaces are lined with a moist, thin layer of tissue called a mucous membrane. The mucous membrane secretes mucus that traps dust and germs that are in the air we breathe. Doctors don’t really know much about sinuses but some researchers think they keep the head from being too heavy. Sinuses also give you the pitch and tone of our voice.
Adenoids
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Adenoids are lumpy mass of lymphoid tissue that help protect kids from getting sick. They situated at the very back of the nose and the roof of the mouth. Most people’s adenoids are not even in use after a person’s third year. In fact, adenoids usually shrink after about age 5, and by the teenage years they often practically disappear. Adenoids do important work as infection fighters for babies and little kids. But they become less important once a kid gets older and the body develops other ways to fight germs. Also, they are prone to swelling and infection.
Tonsils
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Tonsils are clusters of lymphoid tissue on either side of the throat. They act as part of the immune system to help protect against infection. But are they really important. Researches lead us to believe that adenoids are developed to deal with certain types of infections, such as worms or other parasites. It is clear that in many cases, the adenoids become “dysfunctional” and are more of a liability than an asset since they are prone to swelling and infection.
Coccyx
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The coccyx or the tailbone, is the final segment of the human vertebral column. It is made up of three to five separate or fused vertebrae held in place by joints and ligaments. In humans and other tailless primates since Nakalipithecus (a Miocene hominoid), the coccyx is the left over of a vestigial tail, but still not entirely useless. It is part of a weight-bearing support structure which act as a support for a sitting person. Also, it serve as a place for the insertion of some of the muscles of the pelvic floor.
Arrector Pili
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Arrector pili are tiny microscopic muscle tissues that connect hair follicles to the dermis. When stimulated, the arrector pili will contract and cause the hair to stand on end when we needed to appear bigger and scarier, causing goose bumps. They exist in most mammals including humans but in some animals arrector pili serve an important function; acting as insulation to keep their body warm. Other animals, such as porcupines use them as a defensive mechanism when threatened by enemies.
Wisdom Teeth
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Third Molar teeth also known as wisdom teeth are the last teeth to appear in your mouth. This generally occurs between the ages of 17 and 25. Back in the day, when man ate rough diet but didn‘t bother to floss afterwards, there resulted an over excessive wear of their teeth. Therefore, when those “wisdom teeth,” came in, they were welcomed. Nowadays, modern diet, which is much softer, and the popularity of fluoride and orthodontic tooth straightening procedures have just made molar teeth them a huge pain when they enter the mouth.
Appendix
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The appendix is a blind ended tube connected to the cecum that averages 10 cm in length. It is located near the connection of the small intestine and the large intestine. Evolutionists claimed that the appendix is a part of a large digestive system during man’s early plant-eating years and has no function in modern human. However, present day researches and studies suggest that it may produce that are helpful in the function of the human colon.
Male Nipples
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For centuries, men have pondered on why men have nipples and what are its functions. The most logical explanation experts gave is that during conception, an unborn child has the potential to be either male or female. During conception, the embryo has set of 23 pairs of chromosomes. One pair of chromosomes determines sex: XX chromosomes for female and XY means male. The other 22 pairs (autosomes) supply the standard equipment that all humans get. As we all know, nipples are beneficial to women but male nipples– I believe they are useless.
