THE APPENDIX SERVES NO REAL PURPOSE, RIGHT? But is that true? Today’s essay is dedicated to unveiling the secret powers of your appendix: It’s more than just a vestigial organ. Your appendix has secrets.
I remember well the call from Portland, Oregon: My youngest daughter had sudden pain that began on the right side of her lower abdomen.
I’ll cut to the chase: She had appendicitis, an inflammation of the appendix.
The appendix is a finger-shaped pouch that protrudes from the large intestine (colon) on the lower right side of the belly (abdomen).
Following a physical exam and some blood tests, she headed to the operating room to have the appendix removed.
What
Imagine a tiny worm-like structure in your belly, about the size of your pinky finger.
The appendix hangs off the cecum, the first part of your large intestine.
Now, if you draw an imaginary line from your belly button to the outer edge of your right pelvis and go two-thirds down, you’ve found McBurney’s point — right where this little appendage is located!
Famous
Sometimes, it seems like everyone has had their appendix removed. Here’s a short list of some famous folks who no longer have this part of their colon:
- Elton John. He is arguably the most successful singer/songwriter of his generation. Here he speaks after he had an appendectomy in 2013: “I can barely even remember it now because you go into a sort of delirium, but I just walked off stage halfway through and was taken to hospital where they scanned my [abdomen] and saw what the problem was.”
- Anderson Cooper. The American news star no longer has an appendix. Listen to him explaining on social media: “I’ll be back on air tomorrow. [I] had appendicitis and had to have sudden surgery last night.”
- Trevor Noah. The extraordinarily successful comedian had his appendix come out in 2015. I have to share his story, as it is a very “only in America” one:
“It was an interesting experience going to the emergency room, although I don’t know if it is the right term because they make you wait.
I feel like there should be two rooms — a room for emergencies and a room for people who can fill out forms. Noah says one of the emergency room workers insisted he fill out forms even when he was fainting from pain.
The lady’s like, ‘Can you fill out the form?’ And I’m like, ‘I’m dying.’ And she’s like, ‘Yeah, but I need you to fill out the form first.’ Noah says he continued to say he was too pained to fill out the form, but the nurse insisted because she ‘needed more information.’
And I’m like, ‘What more information do you need other than the fact that I’m dying?”
Useless?
Initially, it was thought that the appendix had no function in humans.
Pitiful. So many people have their utterly useless appendix surgically removed because of inflammation.
In his books On the Origin of Species and The Descent of Man, Charles Darwin references vestigial organs in the human body that were left over as the human species evolved.
According to Darwin, these evolutionary remnants represent a function critical for survival in the past but became non-existent over time.
But not so fast.
Useful?
Believe it or not, your appendix isn’t just there for show — it’s got a couple of important jobs.
First off, it’s like a superhero for your immune system. Picture it as a bodyguard in your gut, packed with immune stuff to help fight off any bad guys that might show up.
The appendix has concentrations of lymphatic tissue. The primary role of the cells is to make immunoglobulin A. This substance is crucial to regulating the quality and density of our intestinal microbes.
More
But there is more: Duke University scientists had this idea in 2007 that your appendix is like a secret hideout, a safe house.
They thought it could be a special place where all the good bacteria in your gut hang out, like a backup team ready to jump in if things get a little chaotic.
Got diarrhea, with all of your good bacteria getting flushed out? The appendix is a blind tube, one that is narrow. Good bacteria are less likely to get lost. This favorable bacteria can then exit the appendix and repopulate the rest of the gut.
Thoughts – Your Appendix Has Secrets
So, your appendix isn’t just sitting there doing nothing — it’s playing a role in keeping you healthy.
Why do some of us experience appendicitis?
The condition is mostly occurring in the world’s industrialized areas. In such places, dietary fiber tends to be lower.
With lower fiber content in our guts, we are more likely to get little pieces of food stuck in the appendix, cutting off blood supply and causing inflammation.
Do you still have your appendix?
Thank you for reading “Your Appendix Has Secrets.”
