what is the point of your appendix?

Answer 1

Hello there - The appendix is equivalent to to the caecum of other animals; birds, pigs, reptiles, rabbits plus others all have a caecum (pronounced sea- come). In those animals, it acts as a storage organ for bacteria and other gut flora. In rabbits, it's vital for their digestion because of their vegetarian diet. In humans, it also stores gut flora but can become infected hence appendicitis can occur. When removed, there's little noticeable effect as our gut is not specialised for one or the other diet (meat only or vegetable matter only). It's not useless but neither is it entirely necessary; it's unlikely to be a remnant of previous lifestyles (ancient humans) as we've always been an animal that eats animal & vegetable matter. A varied diet helps keep it healthy apparently. Pat

Answer 2

...just a quick addition to help you understand the creationist nutjobs that have responded to your question.

Vestigial structures provide very strong evidence for evolution. For example, whales have pelvic bones and even vestigial femora (femurs). The *only* rational explanation for this is that they were inherited from their ancestors. So in some far distant ancestor, they were useful, but provide no real function in modern whales. As an indicator of obvious inherited change through time, they provide strong evidence for (proof if you like) evolution.

So that's what gets these creationists all wound up about the appendix. Since it ****IS**** a vestigial cecum (as already pointed out above by the guy who should get "best answer"), it constitutes evidence of human evolution. So these religious nuts feel the need to make claims that it's not vestigial.

Last point... Yes, the appendix plays a role in immune response in your GI tract, but absolutely NO MORE ROLE than every other square millimeter of the rest of your GI tissue. You can do without it just fine (no modifications to your diet, immune system, or anything else are required), and there's no quantifiable impact on immune response once it's been removed. Therefore, it is *****NOT***** a specialized immune system organ as they would have you believe.

I'm sorry if this sounds like a rant, but those two responses have no business in a Science sub-section of Y!A.

Answer 3

My response has rattled the cages of some evolutionists!
In 1890 there were 180 alleged vestigial organs. In 1999 there were none. Scientists had discovered the purpose of them.
The idea of vestigial organs is based on evolutionary philosophy -not science. It arguably did harm to the progress of science in understanding how the human body works.

The evolutionist ranters should debate the facts rationally, instead of hurling misinformed abuse.

The appendix is certainly not a 'vestigial' organ.
This is a myth put about by (misguided) evolutionists.

Today, the appendix is recognized as a highly specialized organ with a rich blood supply. This is not what we would expect from a degenerate, useless structure.

The appendix contains a high concentration of lymphoid follicles. These are highly specialized structures which are a part of the immune system. The clue to the appendix’s function is found in its strategic position right where the small bowel meets the large bowel or colon. The colon is loaded with bacteria which are useful there, but which must be kept away from other areas such as the small bowel and the bloodstream.

Through the cells in these lymphoid follicles, and the antibodies they make (see box below), the appendix is ‘involved in the control of which essential bacteria come to reside in the caecum and colon in neonatal life’.6 Like the very important thymus gland in our chest, it is likely that the appendix plays its major role in early childhood. It is also probably involved in helping the body recognize early in life that certain foodstuffs, bacterially derived substances, and even some of the body’s own gut enzymes, need to be tolerated and not seen as ‘foreign’ substances needing attack.

http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/709

Answer 4

Scientists have long discounted the human appendix as a vestigial organ, there is a growing body of evidence indicating that the appendix does in fact have a significant function as a part of the body's immune system. The appendix may be particularly important early in life because it achieves its greatest development shortly after birth and then regresses with age, eventually coming to resemble such other regions of GALT as the Peyer's patches in the small intestine. The immune response mediated by the appendix may also relate to such inflammatory conditions as ulcerative colitis.

Answer 5

It's a vestigial cecum (as already pointed out).

I second the above rant against the creationist's desperate attacks on evolution extending to these sorts of questions.

Worse still are the physicians who uncritically accept these sorts of rants (often anything they read...) and pass them along to patients (or even in Y!A posts). I once went 'round & 'round with one who had told one of my students (who was shadowing him) that the appendix was an immune system organ! He wasn't a religious nut, but after six months, he tracked down the article he'd read, which was written by some one with a religious agenda.

You should have to pass a test to be allowed to answer science questions on Y!A.

Answer 6

It is thought that the human appendix was there to help digest cellulose and other plant materials when we ate a less rich diet (less in nutrients). We don't need it (if that is what it was supposed to do) since our diet has improved

Answer 7

The point of my appendix is to make me cough up some money when the surgeon operates me for appendicitis...

Its like paying for food which you haven't eaten in a resto....

Thats appendix for me :)

Answer 8

None really.It just decides to kill you at any random moment, when it decides it doesn't like you any more! Although, I've heard that it was used to help to digest grass, leaves etc Unfortunately, I have a 'grumbling appendix' which means that it is like a volcano waiting to erupt!

Answer 9

appendix is a vestigial organ (an organ which is functionless for an organism but was functional in its ancestors)
appendix was used do digest cellulose and fibres
it's found to be functional among herbivores

Answer 10

its a corner shoot in the lower abdomen and it was used when our diet was more vegetarian based so cellulose would have a chnace at being digested
but now its residual and some babies are actually born without one