Understanding the Functional Relevance of the Once Thought Vestigial Organs
by: Giovanni J.R.C.______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Upon the publication of the book “The Origin of Species,” many different types of arguments for and against this research (and what it stood for) had emerged and took the science of biology and archeology into another level. One such evidence that endorsed the idea that man and apes resulted from a similar primordial state is the concept that in the human body, a number of vestigial organs are present that were remnants of once vital and fully functioning structures. Furthermore, these structures are assumed to be obsolete for none claimed to find any use for them. Due to this, they are then said to have degenerated to their present and allegedly useless forms.
Without looking at the theological ramifications on the subject of vestigial organs and their alleged uselessness, one can find that such a topic can be quite interesting and thus worth looking into. Although there are quite a few studies that were done regarding this issue, availability of materials are now more easily accessed through the internet and larger anthropological/biological libraries. However, one must remember that some literature for, or against, this issue might somehow be biased and thus one must remain vigilant in incorporating other studies in ones research. With this in mind, the utilization of reputable scientists and the evidences they presented for their studies must be recorded at the utmost care and accuracy.
Initially, there was believed to have been at least 180 rudimentary or vestigial organs in the human body. However, this count has dwindled to approximately 14 structures. These structures are as follows: the adenoids, the APPENDIX, body hair, the COCCYX, the ear muscles, the little toe, the nictitating membrane of the eye, the nipples on males, the nodes on the ears, the parathyroid, the pineal gland, the thymus, the TONSILS, and lastly, the wisdom teeth. These organs, and perhaps others, are believed to be useless and thus are seen as remnants of once important structures in the body. Furthermore, some even claim that someday, these rudiments will just become phased out from the human anatomy altogether. This thought, however, is countered by the fact that some relatively larger animals that are evolutionary linked to the hominid species do not have such vestigial organs at all and yet are perceived to be less developed (evolutionarily speaking) than the presently remaining representative of the order hominidae. Furthermore, some smaller animals that are also believed to be related to the above larger mammals do carry most if not all the said vestigial organs. Thus, upon reviewing this idea, there is therefore no logical pattern in the supposed eventual disappearance of these structures in more advanced organisms.
Although the above reasoning may be broad and refutable in so many different ways, one fact still stands true, the fact that one should not make absolute conclusions especially if one is in the field of science. This is due to the fact that the advancement of modern medicine and the understanding of the human physiology are broadened almost every year. This is most evident in the growing knowledge that scientists and physicians have with the once thought vestigial organs. Thus, through many separate research studies and experimentations, most if not all allegedly useless structures in the body are now found to have different tasks and serve extremely important purposes in the body on either insuring over-all structural stability or the assurance of appropriate processing of various internal functions.
With this in mind, it is therefore much easier to perceive the different types of “vestigial” organs (for a lack of a better term) as important structures in the body and discover each one’s function within the human anatomy. Taking this into account, it is therefore suitable that the remainder of this page be dedicated to the study and recording of the different purposes of these “vestigial” organs for the sole purpose of extinguishing previous misconceptions. However, due to the spatial constraints presented by one page, only a few of these structures can be thoroughly examined. Thus, no more than the “vestigial” organs considered to be most common can be scrutinized with relative detail.
The appendix may perhaps be the most popular of these “rudimentary” organs. More often than not people complain of its rupturing (appendicitis) and thus eventually leading to its removal. Moreover, due to the initial bias regarding the alleged uselessness of this structure, people did not weigh the possibility of contracting secondary ailments upon its elimination. Due to this, it is therefore necessary to study the physiological system the appendix is associated with and determine whether or not it contributes to this system at all. In the book “Encyclopedia and Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing and Allied Health,” the digestive system is explained and diagramed in completion. Along with this, a brief explanation of the relevance of the appendix in the system is included and thus detailing it’s contribution (this can be found in pages 358-362 in the book and will be expanded on later in the page). In addition to this information, the book “Vestigial Organs are Fully Functional” also contain some data regarding the appendix and the presence of goblet cells found in the crypts of Lieberkuhn within the organ that helps in the proper movement of materials through the intestines.
In addition to the appendix, another often-removed “vestigial” organ in the anatomy is the structure called the tonsils (the palatine tonsils to be more specific). Formerly thought of as a remnant of a once essential organ that eventually degenerated, the book “Encyclopedia and Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing and Allied Health” however maintains the contrary. It states that this organ, along with the two other tonsils (namely the lingual and pharyngeal tonsils), perform an important service to the digestive system by filtering out alien materials that may enter into the body via the mouth and the nose. Moreover, the published research entitled “Functional Morphology of Tonsillar Crypts in Recurrent Tonsillitis” adds that the tonsils produce antibodies for immediate immunity to most bacterium. In light of these facts, it is therefore conclusive that the tonsils (palatine and others) are essential parts of the human anatomy and not expendable organs.
Aside from the aforementioned “vestigial” organs, one of the most unique and perhaps one of the most controversial structures of them all is the coccyx. Found at the caudal end of the vertebral column and right below the sacral assembly, the coccyx was once thought to be the remainder of a once common ancestral tail. However, it is quite difficult to speculate that this was once a more pronounced appendage bone cluster. This is due to the fact that the spinal column had to end sometime and it just so happened that the tip of this long bone structure is the coccygeal bone. Thus, for the remainder of the page, it is quite necessary to study the true relevance of this assemblage in order to determine whether or not it does have a purpose in the skeletal system. Based on the illustrations on the book “Illustrated Encyclopedia of Human Anatomic Variations,” the coccygeal bone holds a number of pelvic muscles and one of them is the pelvic diaphragm (relevance of this will be expanded on as the web site progresses and a number of articles from the web along with the above mentioned book will be utilized). Thus, in light of this, it is quite obvious that this structure has some semblance of importance to the human anatomy by ensuring proper structural integrity. In addition, to further determine if the coccyx bone is imperative to the skeletal system, it is necessary to determine whether or not one can function properly upon undergoing coccyx bone removal. Thus, these subjects regarding the coccygeal bone shall be made clearer as the semester continues in order to properly realize the importance of this structure and therefore dispel the notion that this organ is a rudiment of the once pronounced ancestral tail.
One of the lesser known yet perhaps most important “vestigial” organ in the human anatomy is the thymus. Found beneath the sternum, this organ plays an integral part in the development of the human body especially during the later stages of fetal development and the first few years after birth. However, the function of the thymus declines as age progresses and thus may have contributed to the bias that this ductless organ has no significant purpose in the anatomy. This, nonetheless, is extremely incorrect due to the fact that the thymus is perhaps the main component in the acquisition of immunity in the body (this shall be further discussed in the later portions of this site and will be based on the chapter in the book “Encyclopedia and Dictionary of Medicine, nursing, and Allied Health”). Furthermore, some researches linked this organ to the production of the hormone called thymosin that is perhaps responsible for the restoration of the immunological capability of an immune-deficient patient (also based on the book “Encyclopedia and Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing, and Allied Health”). Thus, it is therefore quite apparent that this organ performs an extremely important purpose in the human anatomy and shall therefore be discussed in more detail in the upcoming term.
In conclusion, the duration of this web site shall be dedicated on the study and documentation of the functions and relevance of some of the more popular “vestigial organs.” Through this, the misconception that these structures are remnants of a variety of formerly important organs in the early anatomy can be dispelled. Such a research shall be performed through the documentation of various books and articles that is geared toward the study of these vestigial organs.
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