David L. Berliner, University of Utah anatomist, discovered the purpose of the vomeronasal organ–VNO for short. In animals the VNO detects odorless pheromones (chemicals used to communicate messages such as the readiness to mate). For many years evolutionists thought that the human VNO was a useless vestigial organ left over from our distant past. Berliner discovered that the centimeter-long organ in our nose detects odorless human pheromones using a totally different detection system from our sense of smell. This specifically designed organ sends its messages to the hypothalmus (which is responsible for our drives and emotions), while our noses are wired to other sections of the brain.
The discovery of the purpose of the VNO shows that there is still much to learn about our bodies. With continued research, scientists are learning that the organs they once thought to be useless are proving to have very important functions. This is no surprise to creation scientists, who understand that our Creator would not have made anything without a purpose.
From A Closer Look at the Evidence by Kleiss, March 19.
