From wisdom teeth to muscles left over from our simian days, we count fifteen human body parts that serve little to no purpose!
15 – Appendix,
- The appendix is a small pouch found between the small and large intestines. It once played a role in digestion, as primitive humans ate largely plant-based diets.
- This narrow, muscular tube assisted the large intestine with the digestion of cellulose. It was also thought to produce small amounts of white blood cells.
- Nowadays, our diets consist mostly of KFC and other animal proteins, so the appendix has been made redundant, like disc-based media. If it becomes inflamed and infected, it can cause appendicitis and rupture, so the appendix is basically everyone’s favourite ticking time bomb!
- Annually, more than 300,000 Americans have appendectomies. This thing is so useless it has no value on the organ donor black market.
14 – Coccyx,
- The coccyx, or tailbone, is a collection of vertebrae found at the very end of vertebral column. It’s below the sacrum and is comprised of three to five vertebrae that are either separate or fused together.
- Many believe the coccyx is the remnants of our distant ancestors’ tails. These tails were said to have historically aided with balance and communication; however, our hominid ancestors lost the need for tails when they figured out how to walk upright.
- This is a real shame. Tails could’ve been very useful in the modern world. You could change the channel with them, grab cans from supermarket shelves, and they would have revolutionised Twister and the Karma Sutra.
13 – Female Vas Deferen and Male Uterus,
- This double entry doesn’t occur in all humans, which proves how unnecessary they are.
- During the first several of weeks of pregnancy, foetuses are gender-neutral. What would become sperm ducts in males instead become the epoophoron in females. This is a cluster of useless dead-end tubules near the ovaries.
- In similar circumstances, a remnant of an undeveloped female reproductive organ hangs off the male prostate gland. This abomination is considered the male uterus. It’s useless.
12 – Paranasal Sinuses,
- The nasal sinuses of our early ancestors had odour receptors which gave them heightened senses of smell, allowing them to detect and escape T-Rexes and sabre-toothed tigers. Since we no longer have to outrun giant predators on a daily basis – the modern equivalent is probably a mad dash to the bus stop – we’ve lost the need for this ability.
- Yet we retain these problematic mucus-lined cavities which make our heads feel lighter and warm our breath.
- Our sinuses are basically pockets of air residing inside our faces. Their role is often debated and there is little-to-no consensus on their true purpose. All they’re known to do is give us painful sinus headaches when infected.
11 – Body Hair,
- Humans are covered with hair. Some of it is useful: the hair on our heads insulates heat and protects from sunburn, our eyebrows keep sweat out of our eyes, and male facial hair is thought to play a role in sexual selection. However, most of the remaining hair on our bodies serves little to no function.
- Some suggest body hair makes us more aware of insect attacks and more sensitive to our surroundings. Others have claimed it provides warmth – although you’d have to be sporting a serious rug on your chest to feel any real difference.
- In the modern world, these two functions are served by insect repellent and clothes, rendering body hair unnecessary.