Are Tonsils Really Useless? Think Again.

Talia asks, "Hello, I was wondering about body parts that seem unnecessary (often called 'vestigial organs'). For example, tonsils can swell up when you're sick and make swallowing difficult. What's their purpose? There's also the appendix, which can become inflamed and then needs to be removed quickly. What's its benefit? I know Hashem made everything with wisdom, and nothing was created in vain, so I'd like to understand what seems unnecessary in the body at first glance."

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Hello and blessings, Talia, and thank you for your questions.

In mentioning these organs, you've touched on a strong argument for intentional design. Historically, theories claiming 'randomness' in nature quickly led researchers to declare certain human organs 'useless,' like the tonsils and appendix you mentioned. They were considered 'vestigial organs'—redundant remnants with no purpose. This mistaken belief led surgeons to unnecessarily remove children's tonsils!

Science has since advanced, revealing intricate designs within the smallest details of the human body, as the verse states, "How great are Your works, Hashem, all of them made with wisdom" (Psalms 104:24). Any claim of 'randomness' in nature thus far has proven to stem from ignorance, as we shall see.

Let me begin with a parable to illustrate the point.

Imagine an African tribesman discovering a watch in a field for the first time. He examines it closely, notices the hands pointing to time, finds the gears intricately moving the hands, and discovers the battery providing power. Each part of the watch testifies to intentional design, and the tribesman spends his day investigating it.

It's obvious he has never encountered a watch factory, nor seen batteries or metal gears, nor is he capable of making a similar watch himself. He naturally concludes that such intricate design is intentional, not random. As Rabbi Akiva said: "Just as a house testifies to the builder, and a garment to the weaver, and a door to the carpenter, so too does the world testify to Hashem as its Creator."

Now let's add part B to the parable: Imagine if the tribesman found a gear in the watch that seemed 'useless' to him due to ignorance, and proclaimed the watch random as a result! Wouldn't we mock such a foolish conclusion, born of ignorance? He's studying the watch as a student, not a teacher, incapable of creating a similar watch himself. How then could he judge the creator? This is excessive arrogance, leading to warped logic.

Logic teaches deduction—from the general to the specific: the intricate design thus discovered in the watch proves that every detail, even if currently misunderstood, is also designed. After all, even what seems like a meaningless 'scratch' on a watch's back is usually just a company's engraving. Even if a watch can work without its smallest internal components, it's logical that these parts aid precision or strengthen the larger mechanisms.

So it is with reality.

At this moment, millions of ingenious systems function within our bodies: even the smallest cell is more complex than New York City's transportation system. Each of our eyes contains over 120 million light receptors, providing a sharp and colorful view of the world. Our brain is a supercomputer unparalleled by machines. It operates over a hundred billion neurons, more than stars in our galaxy, coordinating the body. Science still gropes in the dark studying the marvels of the human body, especially its smallest mechanisms—cells, immune system, and more.

How can anyone see all this and think something is unnecessary?

Unlike the tribesman, we've been privileged in our generation to discover functions even for minute details. Tonsils, the appendix, and other organs once thought purposeless are now known to prevent diseases and are natural immune reservoirs. We've learned to trust the wonders of creation and not hastily conclude from ignorance.

Here's an important example: when DNA was first studied, it was found that over 90% seemed to serve no purpose, quickly labeled 'junk DNA.' But as research progressed, it was discovered that this 'junk' holds DNA sequences that regulate genetic activity. These sequences 'jump' around the DNA, creating natural variations. They are crucial for activating genes at the right time and place, enabling natural diversity.

(From "The Top Ten Scientific Discoveries of 2004 According to Science Magazine")

This is another example of how science slowly uncovers nature's design yet hastily concludes against it. Why don't we learn some humble rationality from these cases?

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Tonsils are two grape-sized pink glands resembling two spheres on either side of the throat, hence their name: "tonsils." They were once considered 'vestigial organs,' and were hastily removed even from children who didn't need it. This was a classic example of misguided conclusions from ignorance, for tonsils were later found to be part of the lymphatic system—a component of the immune system—capturing and killing harmful bacteria and viruses, and producing antibodies against them.

Today, there's no debate that tonsils protect against respiratory infections. This is why they tend to become inflamed.

Think of them as the gatekeepers of the respiratory tract, the body's first means of defense against external invaders.

Doctors state: "Far fewer tonsillectomies are conducted today than in the past because now it's known that tonsils guard against pathogens entering the throat. They are a first line of defense against bodily invasion."

(Source: Inquiry into Life 10th edition, Mader, McGraw Hill, copyright 2003 p293)

In fact, tonsils are particularly crucial in young children. In fetuses, they secrete and produce antibodies, and in children, they act as 'guards' capturing bacteria from the mouth and throat area. In adults, the immune system is stronger, so they aren't as prone to tonsillitis as kids. Tonsillectomy today is reserved for severe cases where the tonsils swell to touch each other, causing apnea. It's notable that cigarette smoke irritates tonsil tissues, another reason not to smoke.

But the latest finding is most intriguing (from Wikipedia):

"Numerous studies link tonsillectomy to obesity. For instance, one study reports tonsil removal increases obesity risk by 61% in children undergoing tonsillectomy without adenoidectomy. When adenoids are removed too, obesity risk rises by 136%."

[Source: "Tonsillectomy linked to excess weight gain in kids", Reuters Health, SOURCE: Pediatrics April, 2009]

It seems tonsils have still unknown functions requiring further research. What was once scorned is now proven to play incredibly complex roles.

In the next article, we'll explore the appendix's role, with the help of Hashem.