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Strange Parts of the Human Body
The human body is made up of many different systems, organs and tissues. While almost all of them have specialized functions and are necessary, a few have negligible uses, and some scientists even debate whether they are even necessary. While some scientist think that certain body parts are simply left over from the evolutionary process, others contend that every body part performs a needed function.
The Third Eyelid
Aside from the upper and lower eyelid, humans have another eyelid called the plica semilunaris, which is located in the inner corner of the eye, next to the tear duct. While largely believed to be a "useless" body part, the plica semilunaris helps to move tiny foreign objects, such as particles of dust and pollen, out of the eye, according to Discovery Magazine. The Science Channel, however, states that the third eyelid is simply a remnant of the nictitating membrane, which sharks, chickens and lizards have.
Reproductive Organs That Aren't
There is nothing strange about a woman's uterus or a man's vas deferens, which are the reproductive organs of their respective genders. What is strange, says the Nurse Nut, is that women have a cluster of tubes leading to nothing near their ovaries. These are a female version of the vas deferens, which are male sperm ducts. Men have an undeveloped uterus, the female organ that houses a fetus, hanging on the side of the prostate. These are left over from "fetus-hood," when the sexual organs were developing.
Appendix
The appendix is a worm-shaped pouch on the right side of the abdomen, attached to the large intestine. According to the National Institutes of Health, scientists do not know what the appendix is for, or what function it has, if any. If the appendix becomes infected, doctors usually remove it, causing no health issues. ScienceDaily, however, asserts that the appendix does have a use: to house beneficial bacteria that emerge after a bout with diarrhea or other gastrointestinal illness. There is also immune system tissue in the appendix. That such a small organ is at the heart of controversy among scientists makes it an oddity.
The human body is made up of many different systems, organs and tissues. While almost all of them have specialized functions and are necessary, a few have negligible uses, and some scientists even debate whether they are even necessary. While some scientist think that certain body parts are simply left over from the evolutionary process, others contend that every body part performs a needed function.
The Third Eyelid
Aside from the upper and lower eyelid, humans have another eyelid called the plica semilunaris, which is located in the inner corner of the eye, next to the tear duct. While largely believed to be a "useless" body part, the plica semilunaris helps to move tiny foreign objects, such as particles of dust and pollen, out of the eye, according to Discovery Magazine. The Science Channel, however, states that the third eyelid is simply a remnant of the nictitating membrane, which sharks, chickens and lizards have.
Reproductive Organs That Aren't
There is nothing strange about a woman's uterus or a man's vas deferens, which are the reproductive organs of their respective genders. What is strange, says the Nurse Nut, is that women have a cluster of tubes leading to nothing near their ovaries. These are a female version of the vas deferens, which are male sperm ducts. Men have an undeveloped uterus, the female organ that houses a fetus, hanging on the side of the prostate. These are left over from "fetus-hood," when the sexual organs were developing.
Appendix
The appendix is a worm-shaped pouch on the right side of the abdomen, attached to the large intestine. According to the National Institutes of Health, scientists do not know what the appendix is for, or what function it has, if any. If the appendix becomes infected, doctors usually remove it, causing no health issues. ScienceDaily, however, asserts that the appendix does have a use: to house beneficial bacteria that emerge after a bout with diarrhea or other gastrointestinal illness. There is also immune system tissue in the appendix. That such a small organ is at the heart of controversy among scientists makes it an oddity.
