The appendix is a small organ that is often forgotten and people only think about it when it causes appendicitis. Science has made advances in studies that show its importance in the human body.
There is a general idea about the appendix that it is just a relic of human evolution and ultimately useless. Indeed, the function of this little organ is still unclear to science. However, there is a lot of data that suggests that it may not be as useless as we previously thought.
Usually, the appendix is not a problem until it causes problems, namely when it becomes inflamed and especially when appendicitis occurs. We all know that in such cases, a person needs to have surgery to remove the organ.
About 8.6% of men will have to have an appendectomy or have their appendix removed. This figure is slightly lower for women: 6.7%. No one thinks they will miss this organ, but it is not that simple.
Read: Common Appendicitis Symptoms in Children
What is the appendix?
This organ is a small thin extension located in the large intestine at a point called the cecum, which is also near the end of the small intestine . It is an extension of the vertical part of the colon and is 8 to 12 cm long.
The name appendix comes from its pendulum-like appearance, like a worm or screw with an entrance but no exit. Therefore, it can easily accumulate food particles and become inflamed, causing appendicitis.
This organ has always been a mystery to doctors. They started with the idea that since it exists in our bodies, it must have a function, but they never figured out what that function was. For this reason, we believed for a long time that it was just a relic of human evolution, doomed to disappear over time.
The anatomical location of the appendix is above the cecum in the large intestine.
A change of perspective
Despite popular belief, researchers recently discovered that the appendix has evolved 26 times in mammals. That is, it has changed over the centuries to better adapt to the body. This fact does not coincide with the idea that it is useless. Because if so, why did it undergo so many adaptations?
Several experts decided to join forces to investigate the reason for this apparent discrepancy. A 2016 research initiative tried to determine what factors were common in animals with appendages. They also analyzed hundreds of mammals, including humans.
Their first conclusion was that the appendix had evolved much more than in cases where it had disappeared. In other words, the number of animal species that had retained and adapted this organ was much greater than in those that had lost it. This fact led the scientists on a surprising path.
New findings regarding the appendix
The researchers also found that there is a high concentration of lymphatic tissue in the appendix, which acts as protection for the organism, leading them to hypothesize that the appendix may play an immunological role .
Loren Martin, a physiologist at Oklahoma State University, noted that the walls of the appendix, especially in children and young adults, contain many lymphoid cells, which, in his opinion, turns the organ into a kind of intestinal tonsil, like the tonsils in the throat.
This means that this small organ can be a defensive front against various diseases. Lymph cells can exert immune control.
One study appears to at least partially confirm this hypothesis, finding that people infected with the bacteria Clostridium difficile were twice as likely to develop a serious condition if they did not have an appendix.
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Other interesting facts
The above was not the only conclusion that scientists reached. We now suspect that the appendix is also an important reservoir and refuge for intestinal microbiota. In fact, this microbiota is key to the proper development of the immune system, metabolism and some organs.
It can change under various conditions, such as severe diarrhea. What the researchers suspect is that the appendix functions as a kind of emergency device in such a situation .
This means that it helps to regenerate lost microorganisms. Apparently, in those who have had an appendectomy, the microbiota takes longer to recover under similar conditions. As you can see, it seems that the appendix is not as useless as we thought.
