Ears to hear. Eyes to see. Nose to breathe and smell. And so on. However, the purpose of some parts human body is not easy to explain. Why, for example, do you need the tailbone, the hair on your legs?

It is believed that a person inherited them from distant ancestors. Once upon a time, they brought benefits to people, but over time, the need for them decreased or disappeared altogether - but the “optional” structures themselves remained. They were called rudiments (from the Latin rudimentum - rudiment, fundamental principle).

Before Charles Darwin, scientists believed in all seriousness that rudiments were “created for symmetry” or “to complete the scheme of nature.” Darwin gave a more logical explanation: organs that do not help, but do not particularly interfere with the process of natural selection, gradually degenerate. By the way, the rudiments served as one of the proofs of the theory of evolution.

If all people without exception have rudiments, then atavisms are the lot of a select few. We are talking about features that were completely lost in the process of evolution (for example, a tail or a thick hairline all over the body like animal fur). Scientists explain the appearance of atavisms by the fact that their genes do not completely disappear during evolution, but only lose activity, and can manifest themselves under certain conditions. In the old days, people with atavisms were shunned or shown for money at fairs: “Hurry to see the amazing man-beast and the tailed child!” Today everyone understands that atavism does not make a person inferior. Moreover, such people often resort to the services of plastic surgeons.

Rudiments and atavisms are interesting and useful to biologists. By examining them, one can trace the path of evolution. Theoretically, rudiments and atavisms can benefit humanity as a species: the presence of “extra” entries in the genotype makes the species more flexible in adapting to changing conditions. However, why do we need low-functional, if not completely useless organs? to the common man? Are they of any use or just trouble?

Rudiments

Rudimentary organs, rudiments (from the Latin rudimentum - rudiment, fundamental principle) are organs that have lost their basic significance in the process of evolutionary development of the organism.

The term “rudiment” in this meaning is widely used in Russian scientific literature, despite the fact that it is the opposite of its original meaning in Latin. In English-language literature, along with it, the more adequate term vestige, derived from Lat. vestigium - a trace (in the literal and figurative sense of the word). It is also advisable in Russian to use the term vestigium to designate an organ that has secondarily decreased and/or simplified during evolution, so as not to confuse it with a rudiment - an organ that has not yet reached its final size and structure.

Charles Darwin's analysis of vestigial (that is, vestigial) organs and body parts contributed greatly to the formation of evidence base origin of man from other representatives of the animal world.

In the 19th century, scientists counted about 180 rudiments. These included organs that are currently recognized as vital: knee menisci, thyroid, thymus and pineal glands. Today the list of rudiments has been significantly reduced. Opponents of the theory of evolution argue that humans do not have any unnecessary organ. However, most scientists agree that some organs have largely lost function, which allows them to be classified as vestigial.

A person, unlike a monkey, does not need a tail. He is not. However, the part of the spine that supports the tail remains - this is the tailbone. The coccyx consists of four to five small vertebrae located below the sacrum. In an adult, these vertebrae fuse into a single, inactive structure.

Most people don't think about their tailbone. This rudiment does not help, but it does not interfere with life. In women, during childbirth, the tailbone bends back, allowing the fetus to pass through. However, sometimes the coccyx, being richly innervated, becomes a source of very unpleasant pain. They occur when it is excessively bent forward due to individual characteristics building or injury. What is characteristic: pain occurs after prolonged sitting, especially on a soft chair. Usually, to eliminate pain, it is enough to advise patients to sit on a hard surface (in this case, the support goes to the ischial tuberosities, and not to the coccyx) and undergo a course of physiotherapy. IN rare cases, When conservative treatment does not help, I have to surgically remove the tailbone.

The appendix is an extension of the cecum. Its average length is 10 cm (however, the Guinness Book of Records records an appendix with a length of 23.5 cm). Everyone knows what problems the appendix can cause: every year 1 in 200–250 people gets sick acute appendicitis and more than 1,000,000 operations (appendectomies) are performed. Less is known about the benefits of the appendix. It is believed that it can participate in digestion - they live in it beneficial bacteria, as well as perform immune and endocrine functions.

What to do with the appendix so that it does not cause problems? Currently, preventive removal of the appendix is considered unjustified: it leads to a decrease in immunity, in addition, like any operation on abdominal cavity, can cause the formation of adhesions. All that remains is to live with the appendix and hope that it does not become inflamed. By the way, Italian scientists have shown that breastfeeding reduces the risk of appendicitis: with a feeding period of 4 to 7 months, the risk is reduced by 10%, and with a feeding period of more than 7 months - almost 2 times!

Mammary glands in men

The mentioned method of preventing appendicitis cannot be recommended for men: their mammary glands are purely vestigial organs. There is no benefit from them, but harm is possible.

At hormonal disorders(for example, like by-effect taking certain medications or due to alcoholism), men's breasts can become enlarged and even produce milk. Treatment consists of eliminating the cause of the disorder.

Breast cancer is also possible in men, although it occurs 100 times less frequently than in women and has a much smaller social significance. Men, as a rule, notice changes in breast size earlier than women, so treatment is timely. Yes and cosmetic effect breast removal has less psychological significance for men.

Body hair

Body hair is a harmless vestige, which, nevertheless, gives women countless troubles. Firstly, it is unaesthetic. Secondly, hair follicles may become inflamed, but this disease is easy to cure. But the hair is some kind of wool, but still wool, which warms a little. It’s not without reason that when it’s cold, your skin gets goosebumps—it’s the hair that rises.

Wisdom teeth

On the one hand, wisdom teeth to modern man no need - a basic set of teeth is enough. Yes, I don’t want to go to the dentist again. On the other hand, for grinding rough food, it is sometimes useful to have more teeth.

ear muscles

Humans have anterior, superior and posterior auricular muscles. Our ancestors needed them to set their ears in motion. Some people can also move their ears, but this skill seen as just a fun addition to facial expressions.

The only advantage of this rudiment is that the ear muscles can be used for a natural face lift using acupressure.

Darwin's tubercle (also tubercle auricle, lat. tuberculum auriculae) - a rudimentary formation, small bump on the helix of the auricle of humans and some monkeys, which is a homologue of the pointed apex of the ear of primitive primates and other mammals. This structure is not present in all people; according to some reports, the frequency of its occurrence is only about 10%.

This anatomical structure owes its name to the fact that Charles Darwin mentioned it in his work The Descent of Man and Sexual Selection as an example of a rudiment. At the same time, Darwin himself called it Woolner's tip in honor of the English sculptor Thomas Woolner, who drew attention to the presence of this formation while working on the sculpture of Puck.

The gene that determines the presence of Darwin's tubercle is autosomal dominant, but has incomplete penetrance (that is, not every person who has this gene will have the tubercle).

atavisms

Atavism (from Latin atavus - distant ancestor) - the appearance in a given individual of signs characteristic of distant ancestors, but absent in the closest ones. These are long fangs and nails (similar to animal claws), an additional pair of mammary glands, hair all over the body, an analogue of the tail .

Unnecessary organs in the human body. Seven extra human organs

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Does a person have unnecessary organs? Even just a hundred years ago, the luminaries of science were absolutely sure that a person has at least 200 unnecessary biological structures and organs and their loss will in no way affect general condition health. But as further research showed, they were wrong.

For example, Ilya Mechnikov, a Russian biologist, believed that the human body does not need the caecum and its appendage, as well as all the large intestines. The scientist believed that removing these organs would even be useful.

The most interesting thing is that quite a few surgeons were of the same opinion, moreover, such operations were performed until the 50s of the last century. But only over time it became known that it is in the large intestine that the absorption of salts and water occurs, as well as the synthesis of vitamins.

It was not only Russian doctors who made such bold and reckless conclusions. The French doctor Franz Glenar generally argued that some organs in the human body are completely incorrectly located. And this shortcoming needs to be corrected surgically! But even the fact that after his brilliant operations all patients became very ill, the doctor did not change his mind about this.

Modern scientists hold different views. It is proved that absolutely all organs have their own unique purpose and location. There are, however, some of them that have not been fully studied.

Tonsils. Organ, for a long time considered unnecessary and subsequently turned out to be one of the main defenders of our health from microbes and viruses - tonsils or tonsils in a popular way. They have special recesses - crypts - in which the antigenic composition of all substances from the air and products that a person inhales and swallows is determined. Tonsils produce protective proteins, known as immunoglobulin and interferon.

Removal of the tonsils leads to more frequent morbidity, as a person loses an important outpost in the fight against viruses and microbes, which now have the opportunity to freely enter the body and multiply. The operation to remove the tonsils (tonsillectomy) is performed only for special indications.

Appendix. More recently, scientists believed that the appendix is a real powder keg that can explode and significantly harm health at any time. Therefore, it was removed quite often.

But in fact, the appendix consists of lymphoid tissue and also participates in the fight against infections. In addition, this organ produces a special hormone-like substance that regulates the peristalsis of the large intestine. According to latest research, people with an operated appendix are much more likely to become patients at oncology centers.

Goose pimples. Another “victim” of scientists and until recently an unsolved mystery human body – goose pimples(“frost on the skin”, “hair on end”). This rudimentary phenomenon has remained with us since ancient times, when in the cold or when strong emotions, the hairline rises, thereby warming the body, and will mark psychological experiences. Does a person have extra organs?

Coccyx. Just a dozen years ago, in biology textbooks, the tailbone was called nothing more than a reduced tail and an unnecessary organ. But in fact they are attached to it pelvic muscles responsible for support internal organs. In people with the coccyx removed, internal organs descend.

Thymus or thymus, which is located in the upper part of the sternum, was also considered superfluous. But the thymus is responsible for our immunity. It is in this organ that the transformation of stem cells into T-lymphocytes, designed to destroy bacteria and viruses, occurs, and the thymus also provides normal work all endocrine system. In newborns it is large, equal in size to the heart, and with age it decreases significantly.

The spleen, unfairly considered an unnecessary organ, purifies the blood and supports cellular immunity.

Humanity is still actively trying to improve its body. Yes, sometimes there is medical indications for such operations when it is necessary to insert a pacemaker, artificial bone, and so on. This is done in the name of saving lives or improving health. But some people simply pump silicone into themselves and do plastic surgery. Is it worth doing this, and whether people become happier after such manipulations - the question remains open.

Our body is a complex system that consists of various organs, performing one or another function. Meanwhile, each of us also has a number of organs or their remains, as well as atavisms (signs that make us similar to the animal world), which in the life of the body have lost all or part of their functions. What organs are superfluous in the human body?

Such organs can cause a number of troubles or, on the contrary, make us unique. Let's consider what Mother Nature forgot to remove from our body in the process of evolution, that is, unnecessary organs.

1. Coccyx.
This lower section spine, which consists of three or five fused vertebrae. He represents nothing other than our vestigial tail. Despite its vestigial nature, the coccyx is quite important body(like other rudiments, which, although they have lost most of their functionality, still remain very useful for our body), but it is also a problem when hit.

2. Appendix.
Familiar to many. Once upon a time it participated in hematopoiesis, producing leukocytes - white blood cells. Now it does not have this function, but it is a source of infection. It may even come down to surgery.

3. Wisdom teeth.
Who hasn't encountered wisdom teeth? We're not getting wiser, but discomfort with their growth there may be. Wisdom teeth are considered rudiments: at one time they were necessary for our ancestors, but after the diet of Homo sapiens changed significantly (consumption of hard and tough foods decreased, people began to eat food that had been subjected to heat treatment), and the volume of the brain has increased (as a result of which nature “had” to reduce the jaws of Homo sapiens) - wisdom teeth resolutely “refuse” to fit into our dentition.

4. Body hair.
Without a doubt, once upon a time, about 3 million years ago, we were completely covered with them. But with the advent of erectus, they became of no use to us.

5. The effect of piloerection or “goose bumps”.
When reacting to cold, raised hairs help ensure that the layer of air heated by the body is retained at the surface of the skin. When reacting to danger, raised hair makes the animals look more massive and gives them a frightening appearance.

6. Tonsils or tonsils.
They catch bacteria, but they are also prone to swelling and are not resistant to infection. Children often experience this themselves. Fortunately, our tonsils decrease in size with age, and if they cause any problems, they are removed.

7. Ear muscles.
They are the muscles of the head surrounding the auricle. The ear muscles (or rather, what is left of them) are a classic example of vestigial organs. This is understandable, because people who can move their ears are quite rare - much less common than people who do not have a tailbone, appendix, etc. rudiments. Functions performed ear muscles among our ancestors, are quite understandable: of course, they helped to move our ears in order to better hear an approaching predator, rival, relatives or prey.

8. Epicanthus.
This rudiment is characteristic only of the Mongoloid race (or, for example, of the African Bushmen - the very ancient people on the planet, whose descendants, in fact, we all are) and represents skin fold upper eyelid, which we see with an eastern section of the eyes. By the way, it is thanks to this fold that the effect of “narrow” Mongoloid eyes is created.

9. Nipples in men.
Men have nipples and something similar to female uterus. In turn, in women, next to the ovaries there are male vas deferens, which tend to become inflamed.

Do useless organs really exist? It is unlikely that anyone would want to part with their appendix until it begins to bother them. The same applies to wisdom teeth. Look at what else nature has endowed us with that is not entirely necessary.

10. Third eyelid

You may not know that you have a third eyelid, but it is located in the inner corner of the eye. The third eyelid, as it is known, is the remaining part of the “nictitating membrane” that some animals such as chickens, lizards and sharks still have.

9. Body hair

Without a doubt, we once had a lot more hair. About 3 million years ago we were completely covered with them. But with the advent of Homo erectus, they became of no use to us.

8. Sinuses

Doctors don't know much about sinuses, the only thing they do know is that we have a lot of them. Variations in their functioning range from isolating the eyes to changing the tone of our voice.

7. Adenoids (tonsils)

Adenoids “catch” bacteria, but they are also prone to swelling and are not resistant to infections. Children often experience this themselves. Fortunately, our tonsils decrease in size with age, and if they cause any problems, they are removed.

6. Tonsils

Also prone to swelling and unstable to infections. If by the age of 30 you have managed to maintain them, then this is almost an achievement.

5. Coccyx

The tailbone is several fused vertebrae left over from ancient times when we had tails. An absolutely meaningless part of the human body.

4. Erector

When we were hairy, it was thanks to this organ that our hair stood on end when we needed to appear bigger and scarier. Now, thanks to him, we get goosebumps.

3. Wisdom teeth

Going back to the days when we ate mammoth meat and didn't brush our teeth, they tended to quickly deteriorate and fall out. This is where wisdom teeth came to the rescue. Nowadays, the availability of toothpastes, flosses and brushes have made them completely unnecessary.

2. Appendix

Darwin claimed that the appendix took Active participation in digestion during the first herbivorous years of human existence, however, after we began to eat more digestible foods, the need for it disappeared.

Our body is a complex system that consists of various organs that perform one or another function, for example the heart, which pumps our blood and it is impossible to live without it. Meanwhile, each of us also has a number of organs or their remains, as well as atavisms (signs that make us similar to the animal world), which do not participate in the life of the body and are not needed. Which organs in the human body superfluous and unnecessary?

Appendix. Familiar to many. Once upon a time it participated in hematopoiesis, producing leukocytes - white blood cells. Now it does not have this function, but it is a source of infection. It may even come down to surgery.

Non-working muscles are muscles that do not perform any function.

a) subclavian - from the collarbone to the first rib;
b) palmar - between the wrist and elbow. Once upon a time it was she who helped our ancestors hang on the vine;
c) plantaris muscle. It is with its help that some people grasp objects with their toes;
d) external muscles on the ears. Dodgers wiggle their ears, surprising those around them. And in the distant past, our ancestors caught sounds this way.

Cervical ribs, which give the neck a swan-like appearance but can be an additional source of pain.

Coccyx. You guessed that this is the remnant of the tail, with the help of which our distant relatives kept their balance and showed their mood. Now it is only a problem upon impact.

Although we no longer look like monkeys, the vegetation on our bodies reminds us of our kinship with the animal world. Men were left with the most reminders. Some women also suffer from this.

It's good that it's now developed the whole system to combat excess hair. Previously, hair warmed and protected the skin of our ancestors.

With bristling fur, the animals frighten their enemies. In our case, this manifests itself during chills. Muscles lift hair follicles- “goose bumps” appear.

Men have nipples and something similar to a woman's uterus. In turn, in women, next to the ovaries there are male vas deferens, which tend to become inflamed.

Who hasn't encountered wisdom teeth? We are not becoming wiser, but there may be unpleasant sensations as they grow.

omitted brow ridges, especially noticeable in men.

Fangs are also greetings from a past animal life.

A long nose is inherent only to humans, in order to warm the inhaled air. But this advantage adds to nasal diseases.

Our nose has long been unable to distinguish the full variety of smells, but some can boast of this. Such people work as “sniffers”.

But let's not anger Her Majesty Nature. Maybe she knows better how a person should be structured. Maybe everything is natural and there is nothing superfluous in our organ system.