Our process of evolution from simple single cell organisms to animals and finally humans wasn’t quick and it certainly wasn’t perfect. As a result of these primal roots, we now need to shave or wax and do many other not so interesting things. But, undesired “fur” isn’t the only fault in our design! Oh no! There are many other organs and body parts that are either outdated or the risks of having them transcend potential benefits. Interested to know more? Well, that’s why I’ve made this list of 7 almost useless organs and body parts...
Wisdom teeth used to be very helpful back in times when our food didn’t come packed in a tin can or specially prepared to be soft, but today… well, they are about as helpful as a third leg! I felt like I’m going to go crazy when I started getting them and that was only the beginning of my troubles. These teeth never grow to the size of a normal tooth and they turn bad very fast, so there isn’t any point it keeping them. Plus, if they start growing in wrong directions, you’ll have to have them cut out which is very, very, VERY painful!
Well, unlike wisdom teeth that are completely useless, tonsils do have a certain function, although it isn’t very important, especially if we consider all the problems people often have when their tonsils get infected. Now, if my mom has thought me right, tonsils are supposed to act as a barrier for all those harmful allergens and microorganisms threatening to enter our body through the mouth. Unfortunately, some people have very sensitive tonsils so they must remove them and that, of course, presumes a lot of pain. Some people are even born with three tonsils so you can only imagine how “useful” that must be!
These little thingies are located in our skulls, in the back of the nose and they act as a barrier for all those bacteria and viruses we inhale. Useful, huh? Well, think again! If you’re old enough to read this then your adenoids aren’t a useful body part anymore. Why? Well, simply because they shrink over time so as you grow up, your adenoids become less and less efficient.
This complex name actually belongs to those little lumps in the corners of your eyes that produce those crusty, slimy things you have to clean every morning when you wake up. Gross, huh? I bet you thought it’s going to be something fancy and it turned out to be the most ridiculous little thing ever. Well, now at least you know the name and the body part to blame.
This short intestine is actually a dead end and, as such, can be very tricky. It used to be useful and, again, that was long, long, loooong time ago so, for humans as we are today, it isn’t useful or practical. Appendix can get infected and, in case that happens, you’ll get at least a week of free bed & breakfast in the nearest hospital and a surgery as a bonus. I’ve been told that if you eat a lot of seeds, they can get caught in the appendix and cause it to get infected and even burst. Now, what do you say about that? I hope that isn’t true because I do eat seeds and my appendix is still attached to me.
Behold, as I’m about to reveal the thing that causes goose bumps! This little muscle is the one you have to thank for that weird feeling of having every hair in your body acting like a soldier during lineup. But did you know that you have millions or better yet, billions of these muscles in your body? One of these muscle is attached to every hair follicle so – more follicles equals more arrector pili muscles.
They are definitely one of their erogenous zones but, unlike ours, they don’t serve for anything else than personal pleasure and decoration, of course. In very rare cases men can start lactating and that can be quite uncomfortable and probably not something they would be particularly proud of. “Got milk?” “Yeah, in fact, I do”… Well, you get the point. So why do men have them too? Well, simply because Mother Nature was too busy do decide on is it going to be a boy or a girl every time a female of any species gets pregnant, so we were all given the same body parts and left to develop on our own, so to speak.
Did any of these organs and body parts win you a free tour of ER? Feel free to update this list and suggest some other totally or almost useless organs and body parts, as I don’t think our design is so perfect, we only have 7 of them.
Top image source: innocentaccusations.tumblr.com