The human body is interesting and consists of many parts. Some of its parts are essential for living and some appear to be but they aren’t. I’ll share a list of ten body parts that are non-essential or non-functional or simply vestigial organs in the human body.
When comes to the list of non-functional parts of the body, the Appendix is the first that comes in our mind. The appendix is an out-coming of caecum which is the first part of the large intestine. It is present in the lower right side of the abdomen. It helps in digestion of different roughages in large and small ruminants and other herbivores, it is well developed in equines (horses and donkeys).
The appendix was functional in our ancestors when unripe fruits and vegetables were their staple food. As human started to adapt for modern lifestyle appendix starts becoming less functional. Now a day’s appendix has no role in digestion, however, recent studies show that they have a little role in immunity. Sometimes, the petrification of food into appendix occurs and it starts swelling. In most of these cases, the appendix is removed surgically because it can burst in such situations. As far as immunity concerns, humans have a whole lymphatic system for this function and appendix only contribute a little in this function which can be neglected.
Wisdom teeth are not so wise. It is the last set of molars that usually pop-up in our mouth at the age to 17-21 or later. As our ancestors had large jaws due to their herbivore diet, so, it helped them in grinding food at that age.
Now, it has no function in the human mouth. However, it causes many problems in dental hygiene as it is present in the last, so, its proper cleaning is not possible. Usually, people remove it because it damages other functional teeth. Moreover, more than 35% population of today don’t develop wisdom teeth at all.