What is the appendix for?
The appendix is a small pouch attached to the large intestine. Once thought useless, it now appears to support the immune system and store helpful gut bacteria.
The appendix is a narrow tube about 5 to 10 centimeters long, located in the lower right part of the abdomen. For a long time, people believed it was a useless leftover from evolution. Charles Darwin suggested it was a remnant of a larger organ that helped our ancestors digest plants.
Researchers now think the appendix contains lymphoid tissue that helps the immune system, especially early in life. It may also act as a safe house for beneficial gut bacteria. After an illness such as severe diarrhea flushes the intestines, these stored bacteria may help repopulate the gut.
Appendicitis
The appendix can become blocked and inflamed, a condition called appendicitis. Symptoms often start with pain around the belly button that moves to the lower right side, along with fever, nausea and loss of appetite. It needs medical treatment quickly, usually surgery or sometimes antibiotics, because an inflamed appendix can burst.
Did You Know?
Studies have found that an appendix has evolved independently in several groups of mammals, which suggests it serves a useful purpose.
This answer is general information, not medical advice. For a personal health question, talk to a doctor.