I don’t know for sure and the use of the appendix has been controversial, mostly because it is small and can be taken out without any obvious side effect.
It used to be thought that it was a left over body part from when we needed to be able to digest rougher plant material. These days I think it is thought to have a role in the immune system and helping to control infection.
Good question! Do you still have an appendix or have you had yours taken out? I’ve still got mine, but I know lots of people who had appendicitis and had theirs out and it doesn’t sound nice.. Anyway scientists are still not 100% certain what the use of the appendix is, but there are a few theories on what it might do.
One quite cool theory is that the appendix is a “safe house” for the good bacteria in your digestive system. You probably know that there are good bacteria that help with your digestion and are found in all those yoghurt drinks… Well new research suggests that the appendix might act as a little nursery to breed up the good bacteria for your digestive system. So if you got a horrible bout of diarrhoea that completely cleans out your intestines, the bacteria from the appendix can come out into your guts and re set up shop.
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I don’t know for sure and the use of the appendix has been controversial, mostly because it is small and can be taken out without any obvious side effect.
It used to be thought that it was a left over body part from when we needed to be able to digest rougher plant material. These days I think it is thought to have a role in the immune system and helping to control infection.
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Good question! Do you still have an appendix or have you had yours taken out? I’ve still got mine, but I know lots of people who had appendicitis and had theirs out and it doesn’t sound nice.. Anyway scientists are still not 100% certain what the use of the appendix is, but there are a few theories on what it might do.
One quite cool theory is that the appendix is a “safe house” for the good bacteria in your digestive system. You probably know that there are good bacteria that help with your digestion and are found in all those yoghurt drinks… Well new research suggests that the appendix might act as a little nursery to breed up the good bacteria for your digestive system. So if you got a horrible bout of diarrhoea that completely cleans out your intestines, the bacteria from the appendix can come out into your guts and re set up shop.
Read more about this new role for the appendix here: http://bit.ly/m9ktDY
But if you don’t have an appendix then I guess you might have to drink lots of those yoghurt drinks…. 🙂
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