Do you really need certain organs, why do we have them?

Question

1. The appendix

2. Tonsils

Do they actually do anything? If not, why do we have them? What affects could a person experience after having these removed? And why do these unnecessary organs give us so much trouble sometimes?

Answer 1

Scientists feel that at one time, thousands of years ago, the appendix may have served a purpose in early man's digestive system. Now, however, it seems to be of no use.

The first successful appendix operation was performed in over 250 years ago!

Answer 2

Organs that do not serve a useful function in our body are called vestigial organs. These two organs are just traces of homologous organs in other species. The appendix is said to have derived from our ancestors. Why would an organism posses organs with little or no function? One possibility is that the prescence of a vestigial organ may not affect and organisms ability to survive or reproduce, so natural selection would not cause the elimination of that organ.

Since these vestigial organs serve little or no purpose, if they were removed from the body, the organism will not be affected by it.

I dont know exactly, but I think that these unneccesary organs give us many problems because, since they are vestigial and serve no purpose, that they dont necessarily have the immunity to diseases such as appendicitis or tonsilitis. Thats just my theory, I could be wrong.

Hope I helped.

Answer 3

The appendix is from our ancestors, they used to have a more fibrous diet than us and the appendix acted like a caecum. It was the site of microbial digestion, this still happens in animals such as pigs and horses. We no longer require the appendix as our diets are alot easier to digest now as the cellulose content is alot lower. We get ill when food becomes trapped here, it can cause infection. As we evolved so did or diets, especially as we hit the agricultural evolution. As the appendix became used less it shrunk in size over generations and probably remains now as it has no significant detrimental effect to us to have it now.  

The tonsils are adenoids which are mostly composed of lymphoid tissue, and involved in antibody production.

'the immune system, including the tonsils and adenoids, developed during a era where the child was rarely exposed to a large number of other people and the germs they carried.  It may also be that these organs are relatively more important in dealing with certain types of infections, such as worms or other parasites, that are relatively uncommon in today's society.  It is clear that in many cases, the tonsils and/or the adenoids become "dysfunctional" and are more of a liability than an asset.'

http://www.pedisurg.com/PtEducENT/tonsil...

Answer 4

The correct answer is that there is no evolutionary pressure to get rid of them.  Too few people die before reproductive age  because of problems with these tissues.  Therefore, there is no loss in reproductive fitness if these tissues are retained.  Those who have these tissues are fit enough to reproduce. That's how evolution works.  The only test of fitness in evolution is whether or not an organism reproduces viable offspring.  Nothing else counts.