The appendix

Medical Topic of the Day:  Neglected and misunderstood parts of the body are continued tonight with your appendix.  Why do we have it and what purpose does it serve.

Off the Top of My Head:  An organ in the right lower quadrant of your abdomen the appendix is most well known due to the illness of appendicitis which is an infectious swelling and potentially fatal emergent condition.  Most people at least know one other person that has had to have their appendix removed.

I have seen many cases of appendicitis and while it usually presents the same there can be unusual cases.  For example I know it is possible for your appendix to be rather long stretching across abdomen or other wised misplaced.

My Research Today:  Technically called the veriform appendix it is a blind-ended tube that sits at the junction of the small intestine and large intestine and connects to the cecum.  The word veriform means "worm-like" describing the shape.  Dr. Alfred Romer once referred to the appendix's chief importance as the financial support of the surgical profession.  Most experts consider the appendix a vestigial organ at best and a liability at worst.

Sorta looks like a worm.

Vestigial organs or structures are any diminished structure that previously had a greater physiological significance in an evolutionary ancestor.  Vestigial structures are not necessarily useless and typically serve some rudimentary or secondary function.  Wings on an ostrich are technically vestigial but you couldn't call them useless as the ostrich can use them to scare predators and flick away pests like insects.

Can still ruin your day without wings.

Leonardo da Vinci was famous for disections.  He assumed the appendix existed to accommodate excessive gas in the cecum as to not rupture your intestine when you fart.  That is probably not the original or secondary function of the appendix though.  In herbivorous mammals the dead end of the appendix is designed to increase cellulose fermentation aiding in digestion of plant material.  Humans however cannot digest more than a few grams of cellulose an hour so the appendix would be minimally effective in this function for us.

Leo's drawing of an
appendix.  It's one
of those sqiggly lines.

There are all kinds of theories and ideas about what true purpose the appendix but the subject is constantly debated.  The one thing I can tell you is this:  There is a 7% chance of getting appendicitis in your lifetime.  That is 7 people in 100.  It is quite a significant figure and nothing to fool around with.  Appendicitis is fatal if not treated.

Treatments vary.  In the European Union with socialized medicine they just give you a big bolus of antibiotics and hope it goes away.  80% of the time it does go away with antibiotics.  In the US we say "fuck that" and we just cut that mo-fo out.  That's how we do.  Go big or go home.  There is 100% chance you don't have appendicitis without your appendix.

'nuff said.

So ultimately what does your appendix do?  I don;t know, and neither does the medical community.  It is somewhere between probably something and maybe nothing.  Personally, I like those odds.  Have a good night and remember:  Never neglect or short-count any part of your body.

Quest To 180:
9 mile bike ride, 10K steps.


The MAN:
Meh