Unnecessary organs in the human body. "unnecessary" organs

Man is a perfect creation of Nature. And she is wise and prudent. And for sure everything that is given to a person has a special meaning. However, humanity, for one reason or another, stubbornly tries to challenge this truth, forgetting that the body of each of us is a complex system, intervention in which sometimes leads to disastrous results.

A century ago, venerable scientists were convinced that Nature “forgot” in the process of evolution to remove more than 200 “useless” biological structures from our body, and their loss through surgical intervention will only improve our health. For example, our great compatriot biologist Ilya Mechnikov believed that there are too many “extra” intestines in the human body, and the French doctor Franz Glenard generally argued that some of our organs are located completely incorrectly. Based on this view, until the 50s of the last century, operations were carried out to “reshape” the human body in a new, “correct” way. Entire segments of the large intestine were mercilessly thrown out, the tailbone was removed, and although the patients felt worse after such an intervention, the views of scientists did not change.

Fortunately, gradually in the scientific world the thesis that the human body is harmonious, like everything created by Nature, and we do not have “extra” organs, has become dominant. “Wait,” one of us will object, “but what about the atavisms and rudiments that we have known about since school? There are still “unnecessary” organs in our body!” This is not entirely true. I would say that there are insufficiently studied organs and tissues, but that’s another story.

About “unnecessary” organs

Purely theoretically, these are considered to be those organs without which a person can live. Just like he can live with one kidney, lung, arm or leg. But it’s unlikely that anyone will seriously argue that such “losses” do no harm and improve the body. However, the topic of “unnecessary” organs still requires more detailed consideration.

All relatively speaking useless organs can be divided into several groups. The first includes some biological formations that have now lost their functionality. In particular, non-working muscles and ribs. These parts of the body are the heritage of distant ancestors. Here is their list:
● subclavian muscle – from the collarbone to the first rib;
● the plantaris muscle, with which a person can still grasp objects with their toes;
● external muscles on the ears, by moving which our ancestors more sensitively caught sounds, and some of their descendants use them to shock others today.

The second group consists of the so-called surrounding features. They cannot be ignored; they were also inherited from our ancestors. For example, hair on the skin clearly reminds us of our kinship with those from whom we descended. Previously, hair warmed and protected our great-great-grandparents. Majority modern men and women try to get rid of them as unnecessary and for aesthetic reasons.

Greetings from our ancestors

Another feature of a person is associated with hair, which is familiar to everyone firsthand. Who among us has not experienced the feeling of “a chill on the skin” or the allegorical “hair standing on end”? It turns out that these rudimentary phenomena can be explained quite simply and testify to our kinship with our “lesser brothers.” For centuries, in a state of fear or in a frozen state, the skin of animals reflexively “stands on end,” thereby playing a terrifying role or increasing the efficiency of heating. In our country, as a reminder of a former close relationship, “goose bumps” appear from time to time. At the same time, the muscles lift hair follicles and it is no longer the hair that “stands on end,” since in the process of human evolution it disappeared from most of the surface of his body, but pimples simply appear.

Fangs are also a “hello” from a past animal life. We, people, have no need for them, except as an element of “intimidation” in films about vampires and werewolves.

TO distinctive features modern man The structure of the nose can also be attributed. The length of this organ, formed over centuries, is explained by its ability to warm the inhaled air before entering respiratory system. Among our ancestors, the nose played another important role - it identified great amount smells. We do not have this ability in full, but among us there are people who have retained it. Thanks to their sensitive sense of smell, they work in rare professions in the field of perfume and wine production.

Does a person need an appendix and tonsils?

Available in human body organs that, despite their apparent uselessness, perform very important functions. The notorious appendix, according to recent studies by American scientists, is not at all a rudimentary appendix and a “provoker of inflammation.” As it turned out, this body makes a significant contribution to the fight against cancer cells. The appendix is ​​an important part immune system human involved in homeostasis: it helps maintain balance in the functioning of all organs and tissues. The appendix consists of lymphoid tissue and produces a special hormone-like substance that regulates the peristalsis of the large intestine. And although there is a very popular joke among surgeons that “in any unclear situation remove the appendix,” no doctor will do this “just in case.” Moreover, modern diagnostics allows you to accurately determine the source of inflammation.

Another paired organ, considered for a long time unnecessary, turned out to be one of the main defenders of our health from germs and viruses. It's about about the tonsils, or tonsils, which act as a kind of “roadblock” for infection. Palatine tonsils and adenoids are loose lumps of lymphoid tissue. Even 30 years ago it was believed that they were needed only for the production of mucus. They were cut out decisively and quite often. Today it has become known that the tonsils have special depressions - crypts, in which the antigenic composition of all substances from inhaled air and consumer products is determined. In case of danger, the received signal activates the production of protective proteins in the tonsils, widely known as immunoglobulin and interferon. If the tonsils are removed, then germs and viruses can easily enter the body and feel quite comfortable there. Therefore, today operations to remove tonsils are carried out only in exceptional situations and strictly according to indications.

Is it possible to live without a spleen or tailbone?

Very often, due to injuries, the spleen ruptures and is removed. At the same time, at first glance, nothing changes in the body. So maybe God is with her? But no! It turned out that the spleen carries out immune control of the blood. And it is also a natural filter that cleanses the blood. This is why without a spleen a person recovers more slowly and looks older than his peers. And is it possible after this to call this organ “superfluous”?

There is another mysterious formation in our body - thymus, or thymus, which was also considered “useless” for a long time. Subsequently, it turned out that this organ is responsible for our immunity at the level of converting stem cells into T-lymphocytes that destroy viruses and bacteria. In addition, the thymus is a “leading employee” endocrine system, which produces the hormone thymosin, similar to insulin. It is quite possible that in the near future, based on this discovery, it will be possible to solve the problem of diabetes mellitus.

I think each of us knows that the tailbone is the remnant of the tail, with the help of which our distant ancestors kept their balance and demonstrated their mood. Can this “tail” be considered useless? And again the answer will be “no”, since they are attached to the tailbone pelvic muscles, supporting internal organs. In people with the coccyx removed, they droop and problems with the spine begin.

And finally, a few words about the so-called wisdom teeth. Do not rush to remove these “rudiments”: they can replace unsuitable ones when chewing. adjacent teeth. However, today many people simply do not have them, even in their infancy. Of course, we can treat the gallbladder and colon as something worthless, because people can live normally without them, but let’s not anger Her Majesty Nature. She still knows better how a person should be structured!

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

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 natural selection, and 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 during the process of evolution (for example, a tail or thick hair throughout 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 studying them, you 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, or even completely useless, organs? to the common man? Are they of any use or just a hassle?

Rudiments

The term “rudiment” in this meaning is widely used in Russian scientific literature, despite being the opposite of its original meaning in Latin. In English-language literature, along with it, the more adequate term vestige, derived from Lat. vestigium - trace (in the literal and figurative senses 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 the 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 a single 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 doesn't exist. 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, sedentary 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 structures or injuries. What is typical: pain occurs after prolonged sitting, especially on a soft chair. Usually, to eliminate pain, it is enough to recommend that patients sit on a hard surface (in this case, the support is on the ischial tuberosities, and not on the tailbone) and undergo a course of physical therapy. In rare cases when conservative treatment does not help, I have to surgically remove the tailbone.

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

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 is 100 times less common than in women and has much less social significance. Men, as a rule, notice changes in breast size earlier than women, so treatment is timely. And the cosmetic effect of breast removal for men has less psychological significance.

Body hair

Wisdom teeth

Ear muscles

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

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

Our body is a complex system that consists of various organs, performing 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?

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.

• Appendix. Familiar to many. Once upon a time it participated in hematopoiesis, producing white blood cells 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. The muscles lift the hair follicles - “goose bumps” appear.

• 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.

• Who hasn't encountered wisdom? We're not getting wiser, but discomfort with their growth there may be.

• 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.

The wings of a flightless bird and the eyes of a deep-sea fish are all manifestations of an evolutionary quirk called “vestigation.” The existence of such excesses in the body is not justified by anything, but is steadily transmitted from generation to generation. We will talk about the most famous human rudiments and how they arose.

Coccyx

The most famous rudiment inherited from ancient ancestors is the coccyx (coccyx), a triangular bone formed by the fusion of 4-5 vertebrae. It once formed the tail, an organ for maintaining balance that also serves to transmit social signals. As man became an upright creature, all these functions were transferred to the forelimbs, and the need for a tail disappeared.

However, on early stages During development, the human embryo has a tail process, which is often preserved. About one in fifty thousand babies are born with a tail, which can be easily removed without harm to the body.

Appendix

The vermiform appendix of the cecum (appendix vermiformis) has long ceased to play any role in the human body. Presumably, it served for long-term digestion of solid foods - for example, cereals. The second theory is that the appendix acted as a reservoir for digestive bacteria, where they multiplied.

The adult appendix ranges from 2 to 20 centimeters in length, but in most cases its length is approximately ten centimeters. Inflammation vermiform appendix(appendicitis) is a very common disease - it accounts for 89 percent of all surgical operations abdominal cavity.

Wisdom tooth

Third molars (molars) got their name because they erupt much later than all other teeth, at the age when a person becomes “wiser” - 16-30 years. The main function of wisdom teeth is chewing; they serve to grind food.

However, in every third person on Earth they grow incorrectly - they do not have enough space on the jaw arch, as a result of which they either begin to grow to the sides or injure their neighbors. IN similar cases, wisdom teeth have to be removed.

Vitamin C synthesis

Lack of vitamin C ( ascorbic acid) in the body can lead to scurvy with subsequent fatal. However, humans cannot independently synthesize this vitamin in their bodies, unlike most primates and other mammals.

Scientists have long assumed that humans had an organ responsible for the production of ascorbic acid, but confirmation of this was discovered only in 1994. Then a pseudogene was found responsible for the production of vitamin C, similar to that found in Guinea pigs. But in modern humans this function is disabled at the genetic level.

Vomeronasal organ (VNO)

IN social behavior animal pheromones play a dominant role. With their help, females attract males, and the gentlemen themselves mark the territory under their control. Most emotions are accompanied by the release of pheromones - fear, anger, peace, passion. A person relies more on the verbal and visual components of social communication, so the role of pheromone recognition is minimized.

Goose pimples

Goosebumps (cutis anserina) occur when the pilomotor reflex is triggered. The main motivators of this reflex are cold and danger. Wherein spinal cord produces peripheral stimulation nerve endings, which lift the hair.

So in case of cold, raised hair allows you to retain more thermal air inside the cover. If danger arises, the increase in hair gives the animal a more massive appearance. In humans, the pilomotor reflex remains a vestige, since thick hair was lost during evolution

Male nipples

One of the earliest scientific theories suggested that nipples are a sign of a man's ability to breastfeeding, which was lost in the process of evolution. However, later studies showed that none of the males of our ancestors had such a body function.

Currently, it is generally accepted that nipples are formed at that stage of embryo development when its sex is not determined. And only later, when the embryo begins to produce hormones on its own, can it be determined who will be born - a boy or a girl.

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?

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.

• 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 a whole system has now been developed 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. The muscles lift the 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.

• Drooping 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.