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Asked by liverpoolman22 to Andrew, Ben, Beth, Heather, Louisa on 17 Jun 2010 in Categories: General.
Question: Why do we have inpendix\'s?
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Andrew McKinley answered on 17 Jun 2010:
I assume you mean “appendix”! I believe I’m right in saying that the appendix is a gland that helped us to digest vegetation way back in our evolutionary path (grasses, leaves etc) and to extract nourishment from them. Since man became an omnivore and started eating meat, the need for an appendix was reduced, so it became less prominent. Today, we can quite happily live without it, and in the future, it is possible that mankind will evolve to not have an appendix.
As I say, I believe I’m right in this answer, but our Biologists are probably better placed to answer this question!
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Heather McKee answered on 17 Jun 2010:
Our appendix isa small pouch attached to the large intestine at the point where it joins the small intestine. It used to serve to help with digestion of plants in pre historic times. However now as our diet has changed from forraging for plants to forraging for Tesco’s its just thought to be a left over body part from the course of evolution that was once valuable to survival but now just seems to be a bit of a nuisance!
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Ben Still answered on 17 Jun 2010:
The appendix is an internal organ that is no longer used, but evolution has not removed it from our bodies just yet. It is thought that the appendix was once a second stomach which was used to break down cellulose such as grass and leaves; Cows have two stomachs for this reason.
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Louisa Chard answered on 17 Jun 2010:
Scientists used to think that the appendix was a useless organ that was left over from along time ago in our evolution and had no role now. However, we now know that it does have a function. It helps the immune system, particlulary in developing babies and young adults. It helps it produce proteins called antibodies, which are important for fighting infections. That’s why the appendix is not routinely removed now as it used to be (infections of the appendix were common and very painful).
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Beth Dyson answered on 17 Jun 2010:
The appendix in human beings is thought to be an organ for digesting food, which we no longer need. Ancient humans would have eaten much tougher food, that had few calories, so might have needed the appendix to help them break down large amounts of tough food. Now that we eat much softer food, we don’t need that extra help, so the appendix has got smaller and is possibly used for other things.
There is a theory that it is now involved in the immune system of babies in the womb, helping them to get ready to fight diseases and germs when they are born. It also seems to store lots of good bacteria and so may still help in digestion in adults.
But, I have had my appendix out, and I can’t seem to see any difference!
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