Top Ten "Useless" Organs Can there really be a useless organ? Well, no one wants to part with their appendix, until it acts up. Same with wisdom teeth. See what other ha-ha's Mother Nature endowed us with.****
No. 10 - Plica semilunaris (third eyelid) You may not know it, but you have a third eyelid. Pull open the two more noticeable eyelids and take a look - it's located right in the corner by the tear duct. The third eyelid is left over from what's known as a "nictitating membrane," which is still present in animals like chickens, lizards and sharks.**** No. 9 - Body Hair **** No doubt we were once hairier. Up until about 3 million years ago, we were covered with it. But by the time *Homo erectus* arrived, the ability to sweat meant we could shed our wooly ways.**** No. 8 - Sinuses Doctors don't really know much about sinuses, only that we have a lot of them. Possibilities for their function range from insulating our eyes to changing the pitch and tone of our voice.**** No. 7 - Adenoids <http://www.toptenz.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/adenoids.jpg> Adenoids trap bacteria, but they're also prone to swelling and infection. Just ask any 7-year-old. Luckily, our adenoids shrink with age and are often removed, along with ...**** 6. Tonsils <http://www.toptenz.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/tonsils.jpg> The tonsils are another useless part of the body that can cause certain people a lot of pain. Open your mouth wide and you’ll see a tonsil on each side of your throat, unless you have had them removed. Tonsils are lymphoid tissues that are prone to becoming infected and swelling up. And you know what that means, surgery to get rid of ‘em! 5. Coccyx <http://www.toptenz.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/coccyx.jpg> The coccyx, more commonly known as the tailbone, is the last part of the human vertebrae. It consists of five separate or fused vertebrae and is the remnant of the vestigial tail. However, the coccyx isn’t completely useless. It does allow many different ligaments, tendons, and muscles to attach. It is also helpful when it comes to weight-bearing. In any case, the coccyx is generally much more important in those mammals with tails. 4. Arrector Pili<http://www.toptenz.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/erector-pili.jpg> The arrector pili are extremely small muscle fibers that are attached to each hair follicle on your body. It is known to make the hairs stand, which causes goose bumps. Most mammals, including his humans have these small muscle fibers; however, they serve no real purpose. They are much more helpful when it comes to animals with much more hair because they provide a layer of insulation. 3. Wisdom teeth<http://www.toptenz.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/wisdomteeth.jpg> Wisdom teeth are those that are located in the back of the mouth. These teeth were once very helpful, especially when humans had a diet that consisted of a lot of tough meat. Wisdom teeth, at this time, allowed humans to properly chew their food. Nowadays, many people don’t even get them. And if they do, they’re surely in for a surprise. Generally wisdom teeth are removed, due to them growing in wrong or causing pain. These chompers can cause a lot of pain either way! 2. Appendix <http://www.toptenz.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/appendix.jpg> The appendix is a narrow, muscular tube that attaches to the large intestine. Its purpose is to digest cellulose. The appendix was a more important and necessary organ when the body was introduced to more vegetables. When the human diet consisted of mostly plants, the appendix was extremely important. However, in today’s world, the appendix isn’t a necessary organ. In fact, sometimes the 1. Male nipples This doesn’t need much of an explanation. Males don’t breastfeed, so nipples really aren’t needed. I guess they serve as decoration.
