Directions: For the Assertion (A) and Reason (R) given below, choose the correct alternative. Assertion (A): The appendix is a vestigial organ in the human body. Reason (R): The appendix does not take part in digestion.

Introduction / Context:
This question is from basic human biology and anatomy. It focuses on the appendix, a small tube-like structure attached to the large intestine, and the concept of vestigial organs. At the school level, the appendix is commonly cited as an example of a vestigial structure in humans.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Assertion (A): The appendix is a vestigial organ in the human body.
• Reason (R): The appendix does not take part in digestion.
• We assume school textbook treatment of vestigial organs.
• The question asks if both statements are correct and whether R explains A.

Concept / Approach:
A vestigial organ is defined as a structure that has lost most of its original function during evolution but still remains in the body in a reduced or altered form. In many animals, similar structures can have more active roles. In human digestive physiology, the appendix has no major role in digestion of food; most textbooks present it as a vestigial remnant of a larger caecum present in herbivorous ancestors.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Evaluate Assertion (A). At the school level, the appendix is commonly classified as a vestigial organ in humans. It is thought to be a leftover of a larger structure that might have helped in digesting cellulose rich plant food in ancestral species. So A is considered true in that context.Step 2: Evaluate Reason (R). Human digestion mainly involves organs like the stomach, small intestine and large intestine. The appendix does not play any major role in the breakdown or absorption of food. Therefore, it is correct to say that the appendix does not take part in digestion in any significant way.Step 3: Check whether R explains A. The classification of the appendix as vestigial is based on the fact that it no longer performs a crucial digestive function in humans, even though similar structures do so in some other animals. Thus, the absence of a digestive role is exactly the kind of reason used to label it as vestigial in school biology.Step 4: Therefore both A and R are true and R can be treated as the correct explanation of A in this syllabus framework.

Verification / Alternative check:
Modern biology research suggests the appendix may have some minor immune or microbial functions, but these do not change its classification in school books as vestigial from a digestive point of view. At exam level, the key idea is that it does not participate in digestion like the stomach or intestine, which justifies calling it vestigial compared to some ancestral condition.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option b denies the explanatory role of R even though R states the main textbook reason. Option c and option d claim that one of the statements is false, which conflicts with conventional school level teaching about vestigial organs and the function of the appendix.

Common Pitfalls:
Students who have read about newer research might hesitate to call the appendix vestigial. For exam purposes, it is important to answer according to the definitions and examples given in the prescribed syllabus, which still typically presents the appendix as a classic vestigial organ example because of its lack of digestive function.

Final Answer:
The correct evaluation is that both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true and R is the correct explanation of A.