AP BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Introduction: The vermiform appendix in human is considered to be a vestigial organ by most of the authors.

Detailed explanation-2: -In humans, the appendix is a good example of a vestigial organ. This non-functioning organ eventually degenerates, shrinking in size and disappearing ultimately.

Detailed explanation-3: -The examples of human vestigiality are numerous, including the anatomical (such as the human tailbone, wisdom teeth, and inside corner of the eye), the behavioral (goose bumps and palmar grasp reflex), and molecular (pseudogenes). Many human characteristics are also vestigial in other primates and related animals.

Detailed explanation-4: -A vestigial structure is a biological structure that has lost a major ancestral function and is usually drastically reduced in size. Well-known examples include the eyes of blind cave fishes and blind cave salamanders, and the diminutive wings of kiwis and emus.

Detailed explanation-5: -The appendix, notorious for its tendency to become inflamed or even rupture, has historically been viewed as a vestigial organ with no real function. But new research supports the idea that the appendix may indeed serve a purpose: to protect beneficial bacteria living in the gut.