What Does the “Appendix” Do?

Have you ever wondered why there is an appendix in the human body? Ever wondered, "If we don't need an appendix why is it there in the first place?" Just because you don't need your appendix, doesn't mean it's useless.

For a long time, people believed that the appendix was a shrivelled, leftover organ used by early humans to help digest leaves. And that's been the predominant thinking up until recently. Thanks to a recent discovery, scientists and doctors now know why the appendix exists. 

We all know that we have bacteria in our bodies. In fact, there are about 10 times more bacteria in and on our bodies than in our actual cells. But these are good bacteria. The bacteria in our gut help us digest food and manufacture vitamins. They even help our immune system. That's right; bacteria in our bodies help our immune system fight other bacteria.

But sometimes invading bacteria get the best of our immune system and we get sick.  We are talking of illnesses like cholera or severe dysentery. In cases like this, all your good gut bacteria could be washed out. That is, unless they have a place to hide in; like the appendix.

Scientists now believe that the appendix acts as a reserve, where good bacteria can hide until the illness is over. Then they re-emerge and repopulate the gut and go right back to helping us out.  However, it’s also true that diseases like cholera or dysentery are almost unheard of now because our modern sewage systems have largely done away with them. So in today's world, you can live just fine without your appendix.