The wick in the burner

[geordief]

I have been told that the wick in an Aga serves only to facilitate lighting.
If this is true does it also cause the  burner to work less efficienly than it would if thw wick wasn't there?
Does it allow the burner to burn at a lower temperature than it would otherwise? (does it keep a very small flame going  that a wickless burner could not? Is it also a safety feature?)