Amyloids are primarily known for their roles in neurodegenerative disorders, as well as in systemic diseases like diabetes. Evolutionary forces tend to maintain a healthy set of heritable characteristics, while eliminating toxic or unfavourable elements; but amyloids seem to represent an exception to this fundamental concept. In addition to their presence in mammals, amyloids also persist in the proteome of many lower organisms that may be linked with possible roles in survival, which are still unexplored. Herein, we address some unanswered questions regarding amyloids: are these well-structured proteinaceous aggregates a by-product of inefficient folding events, or have they been retained in our protein repertoire for as yet unknown functional roles; and how do protein misfolding and associated disorders originate, despite the presence of protein quality-control systems inside the cells? This review aims to extend our current understanding about the multifaceted useful properties of amyloids and their functional interactions with other molecular pathways in various species; this may provide new insights to identify novel therapeutic strategies for ageing and neurodegenerative diseases. © 2018 Cambridge Philosophical Society