|
Playing on the Vestigial Organs
According to evolutionary thinking, over the alleged millions of years, certain organs in the human body have become redundant and no longer serve any useful purpose. They are called 'vestigial organs'. In 1895, Ernst Weidersheim, who published a book, The Structure of Man, believed there were no less than 180 organs that were judged to have lost their function! These included the appendix, the thymus, the tonsils etc.
In a Creation Science Movement pamphlet (No.258), 'Evolution - Some Rheumatological Riddles', Professor of Rheumatology, Verna Wright, recalls his early days as a student. "At school I was given a list of tissues and organs for which there were no known functions. I was taught that they were 'leaves not blown off the evolutionary tree', demonstrating my primitive origin. Further investigations have shown that these planks, once thought to be firm in the evolutionary platform, are rotten. In fairness to the proponents of evolution, few would quote them today as evidence, but the point is that what was once taught dogmatically is now discredited."
Sadly, in spite of Professor Wright's comments, one of the 'few' who would continue to use vestigial organs as evidence is no less an authority than The Encyclopaedia Britannica - 1993.
'The human body, for instance, has more than 100 such organs - e.g. the appendix, the fused tail vertebrae (coccyx), the wisdom teeth, the muscles that wiggle the ears and the hair on the body.'- (Vol. l4. -p.1O82)
'The vermiform appendix is a functionless vestige of a fully developed organ present in other mammals such as the rabbit … Vestiges are instances of imperfections that argue against creation by design but are fully understandable as a result of evolution.' (Vol. l8-p.86l)
A 'U' turn on the appendix!
The appendix is no longer considered to be vestigial but does have a function within the incredibly complex workings of the body. Let S. R. Scadding of the Department of Zoology at the University of Guelph, Ontario speak.
'Anatomically the appendix shows evidence of a lymphoid function … There is experimental evidence as well that the vermiform appendix is a lymphoid organ which acts as reservoir of antibody producing cells.' "Do 'Vestigial Organs' Provide Evidence for Evolution?" Evolutionary Theory - Vol. 5 (May 1981) p.175.
It is now known that the appendix contains a high concentration of lymphoid follicles which are highly specialised structures playing a part in the body's immune system.
Another Imaginary Leaf
|
|
