It is a pretty common thing for people to talk about useless body parts that don’t serve a purpose in the body. While there are some body parts with ambiguous purposes, most of these do serve an important role in the body. Understanding how your body works together can help you to stay healthy and appreciate each body part for the great things it does for you and your health.
Appendix
The most common body part that people think is useless is the appendix. And, while it isn’t necessary to stay alive, it does still have an important part to play in human anatomy and physiology. The appendix, when healthy, is full of good bacteria that human bodies need to stay healthy. And, while this bacterium is usually available in the rest of the digestive tract, sometimes when a person is ill, they lose most of their good bacteria. According to Wonderopolis, scientists think that the appendix may help in these situations to build up the good bacteria in the digestive system once again.
Wisdom Teeth
In modern society, wisdom teeth don’t seem to do anything for humans, and in fact, they are mostly an annoyance that needs to be removed. That causes many people to wonder why people have wisdom teeth at all. Historically, according to Stellar Family Orthodontics, humans did need their wisdom teeth to help with diet and other health reasons. As diets have changed and food has become more processed over time, people don’t seem to need these extra teeth as much. They can be helpful if you have a molar removed though as sometimes a wisdom tooth can simply take its place.
The Gallbladder
Another body part that many people think is useless is the gallbladder. And, according to the NCBI, many people have their gallbladders removed with little to no adjustments to their routine or diet after the fact. However, the gallbladder does help with the digestion process and is useful in your body unless it becomes infected or problematic. Your gallbladder can hold onto excess bile which is used to help with digesting food when your body needs a little extra help.
While scientists don’t understand everything about the human body, they are getting more and more information about how it works. Even “useless” body parts seem to perform or have performed, useful purposes in the past. It’s important to understand the human body and learn more about what it does for you.
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