So what do scientists think the appendix was once for anyway?

Answer 1

Our appendix is the remnants of what is called a "cecum." Many animals that eat tough, hard-to-digest plant material (like koala bears eating eucalyptus leaves) have large cecums. It acts as a fermentation chamber , where bacteria aid in the digestion.

Answer 2

I have read that the appendix is an organ for use by herbivores to process vegetable matter. Many herbivores, such as cows, have them and they function to this day. The reason why humans still have an appendix, although it is not useful for the body anymore, is because once the human species were herbivores. Once we began to leave that mode and became hunter/gatherers and also ate meat on a regular basis, the organ used to process vegetables became used less and less, finally ceasing to function altogether. I suppose some day the human body will evolve to the point where we don't have an appendix anymore.

This question also goes well with "Why do we have a tailbone, when we obviously have no tail?" Simple answer: We did once.

Sorry for offending anyone that doesn't believe in evolution, but try to explain this any other way.

Answer 3

I watched an ocean documentary about something ( I don't remember what the topic was ). During the documentary, the spokesman mentioned that diver's will get the bends if they surface too quickly. He then told a mini-story about a third-world country ( don't remember which one ) professional diver who had an appendectomy. After healing, the diver returned to work and found that he could only stay down half as long as he could before the appendectomy. The country's scientists did research and found that the appendix produced red or white blood cells ( don't remember which kind ) when pressured ( at a certain water depth ). The whole mini-story was told " off the cuff " or casually, like this was common knowledge. Is it true? Is it plausible?

Answer 4

Who is to say that it is not in use today? Just because we can not find a purpose for something it remains an unknown. It may aide in digestion by secreting an enzyme? If you did not need it, why were you born with it? Why does a Whale have a hand skeleton in a flipper? Some would say it was not needed, but if you study the beast it supports the whole structure of the appendage. It takes a lot of strength to maneuver in the water when mating.

Answer 5

One theory is that the appendix once help the body process raw meats.

Answer 6

To store all the chewing gum you swallowed!