An Uninformed Question

A cynical atheist asked the presumably rhetorical question, "And God created humans with an appendix because.....?"

The reason for the question is the old and misguided thought that evolutionists have that the appendix is vestigial, and that therefore just one more proof that evolution is true. In Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species (1859) and in his later works, he referred to several "vestiges" in human anatomy that were left over from the course of evolution. These vestigial organs, Darwin argued, are evidence of evolution and represent a function that was once necessary for survival, but over time that function became either diminished or nonexistent. So here is the answer to the question from two different sources. One is Christian, the other is secular:

1. "However, as doctors learned more about these organs, especially the appendix, they discovered that they are not useless after all. The appendix is a small pouch that extends off the large intestine. It also is called the vermiform (worm-shaped) appendix because it looks like a three-inch earthworm. In recent years, doctors have observed that the appendix is a tough soldier against infection, especially in people who have been exposed to some types of radiation. Inside the appendix is lymphoid (LIM-foid) tissue which helps produce white blood cells that fight disease. Also, early in a child's life the appendix is relatively larger than it is in adults. It is during these early stages of life that the appendix appears to play an even bigger role in guarding the body from infection."

2. Scientific American said, "For years, the appendix was credited with very little physiological function. We now know, however, that the appendix serves an important role in the fetus and in young adults. Endocrine cells appear in the appendix of the human fetus at around the 11th week of development. These endocrine cells of the fetal appendix have been shown to produce various biogenic amines and peptide hormones, compounds that assist with various biological control (homeostatic) mechanisms. There had been little prior evidence of this or any other role of the appendix in animal research, because the appendix does not exist in domestic mammals."

I am amazed that evolution believers would attempt to clutch onto such weak straws when the winds of truth have already blown them away.


"Anna Sethe said......because the appendix does not exist in domestic mammals. It doesn't? And I thought it was a rather prominent structure in herbivore animals. What about the tailbone or third molars, Ray?"

Anna...it's really not a "tail" bone. It is the bottom of your backbone, and without it you couldn't go to the bathroom each day. It supports the necessary muscles.

Claims that wisdom teeth (third molars) usually cause damaging crowding have not held up under the scrutiny of recent empirical studies (see "Third molars and incisor crowding: when removal is unwarranted." Southard, T.E., 1992, Journal of the American Dental Association, 123(8):75–78).

Wisdom teeth were given by God for you to chew and enjoy your food. Be wise and take care of them. Floss.