Once considered a vestigial organ, new research shows the appendix plays a role in digestion and immunity, challenging the long-held belief that it serves no purpose.

For many years, the appendix was considered a vestigial organ with no significant function, only gaining attention when it became inflamed and required removal. However, new research indicates the appendix may serve an important role in digestion and immunity by housing beneficial bacteria that can help repopulate the gut after illness.

These findings suggest that the appendix acts as a reservoir for helpful gut bacteria, particularly during severe digestive disturbances like diarrhea. This challenges the traditional view of the appendix as unnecessary and highlights its potential contribution to overall digestive health.

New research suggests appendix helps digestion and immunity

Not being needed is never a great feeling. The appendix knows this all too well. For a long time, scientists saw it as a textbook case of a useless organ. The appendix is anywhere from 5 to even 30 centimetres long. It's attached to the cecum, the dead end of your large intestine. Normally nobody pays much attention to the appendix. That is until it gets sick and inflamed. Kids and teenagers are especially prone to this. Inflammation can happen when the narrow opening of the appendix gets blocked. By things like foreign objects, constipation, or even parasites like worms. When that happens, mucus and gut bacteria can't drain away. The appendix swells up and can even burst. If that happens, infection can spread throughout the abdomen. At that point, there's only one solution. The appendix has to go. This operation is considered very safe and is performed millions of times every year. So should you just have your appendix removed as a precaution, even if it's healthy? Maybe before heading somewhere you can't get surgery? Like say, outer space. NASA doctors actually asked themselves this very question before the first moon landing. In the end, they decided against removing it and the appendix got to go to the moon. Some studies now suggest the appendix might not be so useless after all. Just like the rest of the gut, it's home to lots of helpful bacteria that aid digestion. During severe bouts of diarrhea, this microbiome gets flushed out. But in the secluded appendix, some bacteria can survive the gut's evacuation and later help to repopulate the digestive tract. So it often turns out that even the most overlooked parts of our bodies have an important role to play.

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