Why do we have an appendix?

Once thought to have little use, evolution suggests that it might have played a role in the digestion of food. A great deal of evidence suggests that the appendix is a useless or evolutionary relic, which means the appendix of our ancestors served a specific purpose.

Several biologists support the theory that the appendix is a vestigial organ that was once used by our herbivorous ancestors and helped in the digestion of tough herbivorous food such as the bark of a tree.

However, as humans evolved, they started to include more easily digestible food in their diet and the appendix eventually lost it function. There are scientists who believe that in time the appendix will eventually disappear from the human body.

Duke University established a theory of the usefulness of appendix, citing the fact that the appendix is located at the lower part of the large intestine through which food and microbes pass, supporting the theory that the appendix has some function related to the production of microbial flora of the digestive system.

Other studies suggest that this structure also has a role in the movement and removal of waste in our digestive system.

[OswaldDigestiveClinic]

SO interesting about the new research on the appendix! We just created a video about it too. Curious to see what more we learn in upcoming years!