Why does the body have organs which have no purpose,e.g.like tonsils and apendix?

Answer 1

Ahh, but they do have a purpose. That is the amazing thing about medical practice. It is a "practice".

Years ago when you were ill, leeches were attached to your body to bleed you because it was believed you had too much blood and that was what was causing your illness.

In more recent years, if you had a sore throat fairly frequently, they cut out your tonsils. That didn't always help.

According to an article:
"Tonsillectomy was first described in India in 1000 BC... The procedure increased in popularity in the 1800s...In addition to producing lymphocytes, the tonsils are active in the synthesis of immunoglobulins. Because the first lymphoid aggregates in the aerodigestive tract, the tonsils are thought to play a role in immunity..."

The most important detail in that little excerpt is that we do need the tonsils.

Answer 2

The Tonsils are believed to help fight infection.
The appendix gets infected! LOL!
It is believe many centuries ago, the Appendix was like a second stomach/food pouch. People did not eat as readily as we do, as they hunted and foraged. The Appendix gave an extra holding area for food so they could eat more when they did have food. Over time as people began to eat more often due to Organized Farming the Appendix sort of Shriveled up and not do anything.
Not sure this is true, it just a Theory of Evolution. But, it sounds like a good explanation.
They say the Little Toe is next to go. Then we will have four toes and five fingers. ;-)

Answer 3

Most of the organs that have no use were previously used when the liftestyle of our species benefited from their presence. Our diet, the envionment and how we lived use dto be very different. We as a species had these organs to do specific tasks in the past, and now no longer need them.

Now through survical of the fittest those members of a species that have some sort of advantage over other members due to gentis variations will pro-create faster and better until eventually everyone of the species has that variation. Because not having these organs is no real advantage to us it is unlikley that these organs will ever disappear from out bodys through evolution, we basically just put up with them.

Answer 4

I have had my tonsils and gallbladder removed and have found that they caused more sickness and pain then they did any good. My doctor told me that they are there for a reason but most of the time they do cause more hindrance then help with a large percentage of the population at some time. I think that maybe it is our change throughout the years in society that have caused these things to cause problems for us. Antibiotics are what we are prescribed easily and readily to take for infection rather then letting our bodies do the work so as we can get on with our everyday lives. I also believe that our change in diet, lack of time with cooking due to busy schedules and quick prepared meals high in fat, preservatives and salt etc are a big cause and it is not until we realise that this is the cause of these organs giving us grief that we tend to take note and start to change our ways for a bit of relief and sanity from the discomfort and pain, eg. gallbladder. Yes we can live with out some organs but they are their for a reason and once removed you can end up with other problems eg tonsils removed infection ends up in ears or even sinus. Sometimes the benefits of having them removed definitely out way the benefits of keeping them.

Answer 5

Not sure about apendix- i've never read about it- but there is a reason, most just don't know it so we remove them. We need tonsils for example to help stop bacteria from entering our lungs. Most who have them taken out get sick quicker then someone who's still got them.

The body's designed the way it is for a reason.

Answer 6

Tonsills do have a purpose. It collects germs. But after a while they just kind of get nasty and have to be removed. The appendix use to do the same thing. I cant think of any other organs that have no purpose. Well sometimes peoples brains but you know how that goes. Teee Heeee

Answer 7

The tonsils actually do serve a pupose. They are part of the immune system. They are also subject, like the appendix, to infection. They also serve the purpose of making money for doctors and hospitals.

Answer 8

Your tonsils *do* serve a purpose. They help fight infection (if you haven't had to have them removed). For many years, people thought there was no reason to have tonsils, but as I learned in Biology class, doctors now know that tonsils fight infection.

Answer 9

they're vestigal. at some point in the development of the species they served some function, but are no longer needed. Evolution does not weed out the unnecessary without impetus -- if a trait does not harm or hinder the organism's ability to survive and/or procreate, it will not be selected-out... there's no reason for it to go away.

Answer 10

Evolution