Editing Argument from poor design (section)

== Examples ==
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===In humans===
====Fatal flaws====
{{more citations needed|date=May 2017}}
[[File:Ectopic.png|250px|thumb|right|[[Regnier de Graaf|Artist's]] representation of an [[ectopic pregnancy]]. Critics cite such common biological occurrences as contradictory to the '[[watchmaker analogy]]'.]]
American scientist [[Nathan H. Lents]] published his book on poor design in the human body and genome in 2018 titled ''Human Errors''. The book ignited a firestorm of criticism from the creationist community<ref>{{Cite web |title=Creation: Review of Human Errors by Nathan H Lents |url=https://creation.com/review-human-errors-nathan-lents}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Evolution News: articles about Human Errors |url=https://evolutionnews.org/?s=%22human+errors%22}}</ref> but was well received by the scientific community and received unanimously favorable reviews<ref>{{Cite web |title=Human Errors: The Human Evolution Blog |date=16 October 2017 |url=https://thehumanevolutionblog.com/book-human-errors/}}</ref> in the dozens of non-creationist media outlets that covered it.

Several defects in human anatomy can result in death, especially without modern medical care:
* In the human female, a [[zygote|fertilized egg]] can implant into the [[fallopian tube]], [[cervix]] or [[ovary]] rather than the [[uterus]] causing an [[ectopic pregnancy]]. The existence of a cavity between the ovary and the fallopian tube could indicate a flawed design in the female reproductive system. Prior to modern surgery, ectopic pregnancy invariably caused the deaths of both mother and baby. Even in modern times, in almost all cases the pregnancy must be aborted to save the life of the mother.
* In the human female, the [[vagina|birth canal]] passes through the [[human pelvis|pelvis]]. The prenatal skull will deform to a surprising extent. However, if the baby's head is significantly larger than the pelvic opening, the baby cannot be born naturally. Prior to the development of modern surgery ([[caesarean section]]), such a complication would lead to the death of the mother, the baby, or both. Other birthing complications such as [[breech birth]] are worsened by this position of the birth canal.
* In the human male, [[testes]] develop initially within the [[abdomen]]. Later during gestation, they migrate through the abdominal wall into the [[scrotum]]. This causes two weak points in the abdominal wall where [[hernia]]s can later form. Prior to modern surgical techniques, complications from hernias, such as intestinal blockage and [[gangrene]], usually resulted in death.<ref name="Jury">{{cite web |first=Chris |last=Colby |author2=Loren Petrich |year=1993 |url=http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/jury-rigged.html |title=Evidence for Jury-Rigged Design in Nature |publisher=[[Talk.Origins]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110811235247/http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/jury-rigged.html |archive-date=2011-08-11 }}</ref>
* The existence of the [[pharynx]], a passage used for both [[ingestion]] and [[respiration (physiology)|respiration]], with the consequent drastic increase in the risk of [[choking]]. 
* The breathing reflex is stimulated not directly by the absence of [[oxygen]] but indirectly by the presence of [[carbon dioxide]]. This means that high concentrations of inert gases, such as [[nitrogen]] and [[helium]], can cause suffocation without any biological warning. Furthermore, at high altitudes, oxygen deprivation can occur in unadapted individuals who do not consciously increase their breathing rate.
* The human [[Appendix (anatomy)|appendix]] is a [[vestigial organ]] thought to serve no purpose. [[Appendicitis]], an infection of this organ, is a certain death without medical intervention. "During the past few years, however, several studies have suggested its immunological importance for the development and preservation of the intestinal immune system."<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Kooij|first1=I. A.|last2=Sahami|first2=S.|last3=Meijer|first3=S. L.|last4=Buskens|first4=C. J.|last5=Te Velde|first5=A. A.|date=October 2016|title=The immunology of the vermiform appendix: a review of the literature|journal=Clinical and Experimental Immunology|volume=186|issue=1|pages=1–9|doi=10.1111/cei.12821|issn=1365-2249|pmc=5011360|pmid=27271818}}</ref>
* [[Tinnitus]], a phantom auditory sensation, is a maladaptation resulting from hearing loss most often caused by exposure to loud noise.<ref name="shore">{{cite journal |last=Shore |first=Susan |title=Maladaptive plasticity in tinnitus-triggers, mechanisms and treatment|journal=Nature Reviews. Neurology |date=2016 |volume=12 |issue=3 |pages=150–160 |doi=10.1038/nrneurol.2016.12 |pmid=26868680 |pmc=4895692 }}</ref> Tinnitus serves no practical purpose, reduces quality of life, may cause depression, and when severe can lead to suicide.<ref name="cheng">{{cite journal |last=Cheng |first=YF|title=Tinnitus and risk of attempted suicide: A one year follow-up study|journal=Journal of Affective Disorders |date=2023 |volume=322 |pages=141–145 |doi=10.1016/j.jad.2022.11.009 |pmid=36372122 |s2cid=253472609 |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0165032722012563|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

====Other flaws====

* Barely used nerves and muscles, such as the [[plantaris muscle]] of the foot,<ref name="selim">{{cite journal |last=Selim |first=Jocelyn |date=June 2004 |title=Useless Body Parts |journal=Discover |volume=25 |issue=6 |url=http://discovermagazine.com/2004/jun/useless-body-parts |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110817155923/http://discovermagazine.com/2004/jun/useless-body-parts |archive-date=2011-08-17 }}</ref> that are missing in part of the human population and are routinely harvested as spare parts if needed during operations. Another example is the muscles that move the ears, which some people can learn to control to a degree, but serve no purpose in any case.<ref>{{cite book |first=Ernst |last=Haeckel |author-link=Ernst Haeckel |year=1892 |url=https://archive.org/details/historycreation01schmgoog |title=The History of Creation |publisher=D. Appleton |location=Appleton, New York |page=[https://archive.org/details/historycreation01schmgoog/page/n356 328]}}</ref>
* The common malformation of the human spinal column, leading to [[scoliosis]], [[sciatica]] and congenital misalignment of the vertebrae. The [[spinal cord]] cannot ever properly heal if it is damaged, because neurons have become so specialized that they are no longer able to regrow once they reach their mature state. The spinal cord, if broken, will never repair itself and will result in permanent [[paralysis]].<ref>"Nervous System Guide by the National Science Teachers Association." Nervous System Guide by the National Science Teachers Association. National Science Teachers Association, n.d. Web. 7 November 2013. <{{cite web |url=http://www.nsta.org/publications/interactive/nerves/health_and_disease/sc_injuries.html |title=Nervous System Guide by the National Science Teachers Association |access-date=2013-11-07 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131001090246/http://www.nsta.org/publications/interactive/nerves/health_and_disease/sc_injuries.html |archive-date=2013-10-01 }}></ref>
* The route of the [[recurrent laryngeal nerve]] is such that it travels from the brain to the larynx by looping around the [[aortic arch]]. This same configuration holds true for many animals; in the case of the [[giraffe]], this results in about twenty feet of extra nerve.
* Almost all animals and plants synthesize their own [[vitamin C]], but humans cannot because the gene for this enzyme is defective ([[L-gulonolactone oxidase|Pseudogene ΨGULO]]).<ref>{{cite journal |author=Nishikimi M, Yagi K |s2cid=27631027 |title=Molecular basis for the deficiency in humans of gulonolactone oxidase, a key enzyme for ascorbic acid biosynthesis |journal=Am. J. Clin. Nutr. |volume=54 |issue=6 Suppl |pages=1203S–1208S |date=December 1991 |pmid=1962571 |doi=10.1093/ajcn/54.6.1203s|doi-access=free }}</ref> Lack of vitamin C results in [[scurvy]] and eventually death. The gene is also non-functional in other [[primate]]s and in [[guinea pig]]s, but is functional in most other animals.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Ohta Y, Nishikimi M |title=Random nucleotide substitutions in primate nonfunctional gene for L-gulono-gamma-lactone oxidase, the missing enzyme in L-ascorbic acid biosynthesis |journal=Biochim. Biophys. Acta |volume=1472 |issue=1–2 |pages=408–11 |date=October 1999 |pmid=10572964 |doi=10.1016/S0304-4165(99)00123-3}}</ref>
* The prevalence of [[congenital disease]]s and genetic disorders such as [[Huntington's disease]].
* The male [[urethra]] passes directly through the [[prostate]], which can produce urinary difficulties if the prostate becomes swollen.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Gregory |first=T. Ryan |date=December 2009 |title=The Argument from Design: A Guided Tour of William Paley's Natural Theology (1802) |journal=Evolution: Education and Outreach |language=en |volume=2 |issue=4 |pages=602–611 |doi=10.1007/s12052-009-0184-6 |s2cid=35806252 |issn=1936-6434|doi-access=free }}</ref>
* Crowded [[teeth]] and poor [[Paranasal sinus|sinus]] drainage, as human faces are significantly flatter than those of other [[primates]] although humans share the same tooth set. This results in a number of problems, most notably with [[wisdom teeth]], which can damage neighboring teeth or cause serious infections of the mouth.<ref>"Wisdom Teeth." American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS). AAOMS, n.d. Web. 7 November 2013. <{{cite web |url=http://www.aaoms.org/conditions-and-treatments/wisdom-teeth |title=Wisdom Teeth &#124; AAOMS.org |access-date=2013-11-07 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131110234351/http://www.aaoms.org/conditions-and-treatments/wisdom-teeth/ |archive-date=2013-11-10 }}>.</ref>
* The structure of [[human eye]]s (as well as those of all vertebrates). The [[retina]] is 'inside out'. The nerves and blood vessels lie on the ''surface'' of the retina instead of behind it as is the case in many [[invertebrate]] species. This arrangement forces a number of complex adaptations and gives mammals a [[blind spot (vision)|blind spot]].<ref>Nave, R. "The Retina." of the Human Eye. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 November 2013. <{{cite web |url=http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/vision/retina.html |title=The Retina of the Human Eye |access-date=2015-06-03 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150504053926/http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/vision/retina.html |archive-date=2015-05-04 }}>.</ref> Having the optic nerve connected to the side of the retina that does not receive the light, as is the case in [[cephalopods]], would avoid these problems.<ref>"Squid Brains, Eyes, and Color." Squid Brains, Eyes, and Color. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 November 2013. <{{cite web |url=http://gilly.stanford.edu/neuroscience.html |title=Squid Brains, Eyes, and Color |access-date=2013-11-07 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131111005702/http://gilly.stanford.edu/neuroscience.html |archive-date=2013-11-11 }}>.</ref> [[Nathan H. Lents|Lents]] and colleagues have proposed that the [[tapetum lucidum]], the reflective surface behind vertebrate retinas, has evolved to overcome the limitations of the inverted retina,<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/bies.202200003 |doi=10.1002/bies.202200003 |title=The glow of the night: The tapetum lucidum as a co‐adaptation for the inverted retina |date=2022 |last1=Vee |first1=Samantha |last2=Barclay |first2=Gerald |last3=Lents |first3=Nathan H. |journal=BioEssays |volume=44 |issue=10 |s2cid=251864970 |url-access=subscription }}</ref> as cephalopods have never evolved this structure.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://skepticalinquirer.org/2022/12/the-night-begins-to-shine-the-tapetum-lucidum-and-our-backward-retinas/ |title=The Night Begins to Shine: The Tapetum Lucidum and Our Backward Retinas &#124; Skeptical Inquirer |date=29 December 2022 }}</ref> However, an 'inverted' retina actually improves image quality through [[Müller glia|müller cells]] by reducing distortion.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Franze|first1=Kristian|last2=Grosche|first2=Jens|last3=Skatchkov|first3=Serguei N.|last4=Schinkinger|first4=Stefan|last5=Foja|first5=Christian|last6=Schild|first6=Detlev|last7=Uckermann|first7=Ortrud|last8=Travis|first8=Kort|last9=Reichenbach|first9=Andreas|last10=Guck|first10=Jochen|date=2007-05-15|title=Muller cells are living optical fibers in the vertebrate retina|journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America|volume=104|issue=20|pages=8287–8292|doi=10.1073/pnas.0611180104|issn=0027-8424|pmc=1895942|pmid=17485670|doi-access=free}}</ref> The effects of the blind spots resulting from the inverted retina are cancelled by [[binocular vision]], as the blind spots in both eyes are oppositely angled. Additionally, as [[cephalopod eye]]s lack cone cells and might be able to judge color by bringing specific wavelengths to a focus on the retina, an inverted retina might interfere with this mechanism.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Sanders|first=Robert|date=2016-07-05|title=Weird pupils let octopuses see their colorful gardens|url=https://news.berkeley.edu/2016/07/05/weird-pupils-let-octopuses-see-their-colorful-gardens/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160706161645/http://news.berkeley.edu/2016/07/05/weird-pupils-let-octopuses-see-their-colorful-gardens/ |archive-date=2016-07-06 |access-date=2021-01-12|website=Berkeley News|language=en-US}}</ref>
* Humans are attracted to [[junk food]]'s non-nutritious ingredients, and even wholly non-nutritious [[psychoactive drugs]], and can experience [[physical dependence|physiological adaptations]] to prefer them to nutrients.

===Other life===

* In the [[Africa]]n [[locust]], [[nerve]] cells start in the abdomen but connect to the wing. This leads to unnecessary use of materials.<ref name="Jury" />
* Intricate reproductive devices in [[orchid]]s, apparently constructed from components commonly having different functions in other flowers.
* The use by [[panda]]s of their enlarged [[sesamoid bone#Other animals|radial sesamoid bones]] in a manner similar to how other creatures use [[thumb]]s.<ref name="Jury" />
* The existence of unnecessary wings in flightless birds, e.g. ostriches.<ref>{{cite book |first=Ernst |last=Haeckel |author-link=Ernst Haeckel |year=1892 |url=https://archive.org/details/historycreation01schmgoog |title=The History of Creation |publisher=D. Appleton |location=Appleton, New York |page=[https://archive.org/details/historycreation01schmgoog/page/n354 326]}}</ref>
* The enzyme [[RuBisCO]] has been described as a "notoriously inefficient" enzyme,<ref>{{cite journal |author=Spreitzer RJ, Salvucci ME |s2cid=9387705 |title=Rubisco: structure, regulatory interactions, and possibilities for a better enzyme |journal=Annu Rev Plant Biol |volume=53 |pages=449–75 |year=2002 |pmid=12221984 |doi=10.1146/annurev.arplant.53.100301.135233}}</ref> as it is [[enzyme inhibitor|inhibited]] by oxygen, has a very slow turnover and is not saturated at current levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The enzyme is inhibited as it is unable to distinguish between carbon dioxide and molecular oxygen, with oxygen acting as a [[competitive inhibition|competitive enzyme inhibitor]]. However, RuBisCO remains the key enzyme in [[carbon fixation]], and plants overcome its poor activity by having massive amounts of it inside their cells, making it the most abundant protein on Earth.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Ellis RJ |title=Biochemistry: Tackling unintelligent design |journal=Nature |volume=463 |issue=7278 |pages=164–5 |date=January 2010 |pmid=20075906 |doi=10.1038/463164a|bibcode=2010Natur.463..164E |s2cid=205052478 }}</ref>
* Sturdy but heavy bones, suited for non-flight, occurring in animals like bats. Or, on the converse: unstable, light, hollow bones, suited for flight, occurring in birds like penguins and ostriches, which cannot fly.
* Various [[vestigial]] body parts, like the femur and pelvis in whales (evolution indicates the ancestors of whales lived on land).
* ''[[Turritopsis dohrnii]]'' and species of the genus ''[[Hydra (genus)|Hydra]]'' have [[biological immortality]], but most animals do not.
* Many species have strong instincts to behave in response to a certain stimulus. Natural selection can leave animals behaving in detrimental ways when they encounter a [[supernormal stimulus]] - like a [[moth]] flying into a flame.
* Plants are green and not black, as [[chlorophyll]] absorbs green light poorly, even though black plants would absorb more light energy.
* [[Whale]]s and [[dolphin]]s breathe air, but live in the water, meaning they must swim to the surface frequently to breathe.
* [[Albatross]]es cannot take off or land properly.