Top 10 useless body parts!

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    Top 10 Useless Body Parts

    By The Science Channel

    When you’re sick you may feel that certain body parts are more trouble than they’re worth. And in some cases, you’d be right. While the human body has evolved and adapted significantly since the caveman days, a few biological traces of our prehistoric ancestors still remain with us in the form of freeloading body parts we lug around with us, but have no use for. Take a gander at the top offenders!

    10. Plica semilunaris

    You may not know it, but you have a third eyelid. Pull open the two more noticeable eyelids and take a look — it’s located right in the corner by the tear duct. This small third eyelid is left over from what’s known as a “nictitating membrane,” which is still present in full form in some animals including chickens, lizards and sharks.

    9. Body hair

    No doubt we were once hairier. Up until about 3 million years ago, we were covered with body hair. But by the time Homo erectus arrived, the ability to sweat meant we could shed our woolly ways.

    8. Sinuses

    Doctors don’t really know much about sinuses — only that we have a lot of them. Possibilities for their function range from insulating our eyes to changing the pitch and tone of our voice.

    7. Adenoids

    Adenoids trap bacteria, but they’re also prone to swelling and infection. Just ask any 7-year-old. Luckily, our adenoids shrink with age and are often removed, along with …

    6. Tonsils

    Also prone to swelling and infection. If you still have them when you reach your 30s, it’s almost an accomplishment.

    5. Coccyx

    More useful as a game-winning Scrabble word than as part of the anatomy, the coccyx or tailbone, is made up of several fused vertebrae left over from the olden days when we had tails.

    4. Arrector pili

    When we were hairier (see No. 9), the arrector pili made the hairs stand on end when we needed to appear bigger and scarier. Now, it just gives us goose bumps.

    3. Wisdom teeth

    Back in the day, when we ate mammoth meat off the bone and didn’t floss afterward, our teeth tended to fall out. Therefore, when those reserve molars, aka “wisdom teeth,” came in, they were welcomed. Nowadays, fluoride and dental plans have made them just a huge pain.

    2. Appendix

    Darwin claimed the appendix was useful for digestion during our early plant-eating years; it’s dwindled down to little since we started eating more digestible foods.

    1. Male nipples

    Because, why?

    #194875

    Thanks, Pollys_Mum_you are right up there with Dee on keeping us informed! I always wondered about #1 also.

    #194876
    DancingCatHill
    Participant

    Interesting! Unfortunately you could get them all removed and barely lose one pound. Hummphhhh!

    #194877

    You’re right.

    Mind you we might look a bit funny if we had our sinuses removed! And if we just had them filled in (to prevent all those wretched infections) we’d actually end up heavier.

    #194878
    DancingCatHill
    Participant

    My sinuses tend to fill themselves in way too often! Maybe that’s where the extra 20 came from? Couldn’t be the chocolate that I love so….

    #194879
    Dee from Tampa
    Participant

    Possible indelicate comment here—do you guys “irrigate” your sinuses? It works miracles!

    #194880
    ailuromaniac
    Participant

    There have been incidences in certain aboriginal tribes where male allolactation occurs. So regardless or our preconceived notions they are not entirely useless.

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