What role does the appendix have in digestion?
1 Answer
A lot of people think it is useless but its primary purpose is to THEORETICALLY, act as a safe house for the good bacteria inside the large intestine.
Explanation:
Scientists from the Duke University Medical Center in North Carolina say following a severe bout of cholera or dysentery, which can purge the gut of bacteria essential for digestion, the reserve good bacteria emerge from the appendix to take up the role. It makes a lot of sense when you think about it. During the Dark Ages, people defecated anywhere and contaminated various water sources. So how did our poor, non royalty ancestors survive a really bad case of diarrhea without modern medicine? This could provide a good lead.
If you get an inflamed appendix, however or even a ruptured one, it might be best not to keep it to prevent a massive infection and internal bleeding.
Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2007-10-10/scientists-discover-true-function-of-appendix-organ/693946
