The Presence of Vestigial Organs Supports Evidence of Evolution Because

question 41

Multiple Choice

The presence of vestigial organs supports evidence of evolution because

• A) the vestigial organ is unique to one species.
• B) the vestigial organ is similar to a functional organ in a related species, having been passed down from a common ancestor.
• C) both the vestigial organ and the functional organ perform the same function.
• D) the vestigial organ could not have been passed down from an ancestor.
• E) the vestigial organs represent variation in a species. Vestigial organs are organs that are not useful to the organism but are still part of its anatomy. An ancestor possessed the organ at a time when it served an important function. As the environment changed, the organ was no longer needed for survival, but organisms still inherit the structure.

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Definitions:

AV Node

A part of the electrical conduction system of the heart that delays the electrical impulse from the atria, allowing the ventricles time to fill with blood.

Atrioventricular Valves

Valves between the atria and ventricles of the heart that prevent the backflow of blood.

Semilunar Valves

Heart valves located at the bases of the large arteries that exit the heart (the aorta and the pulmonary artery); they prevent blood from flowing back into the heart's ventricles after contraction.

Stethoscope

A stethoscope is a medical instrument used to listen to the internal sounds of the body, particularly the heart and lungs, for diagnostic purposes.