I want to know what a apendix does. Not other people telling me dumb things! Or asking the same thing i am!?

Question

I want to know what a apendix does. Not other people telling me dumb things! Or asking the same thing i am!?

Answer 1

If you poke your stomache at ur apendix you will throw up,

or it can possibly explode.

Answer 2

It stores helpful bacteria for you so that if your gut flora get wiped out by diarrhea or the plague or something, you can repopulate yourself. This is less useful in modern society because now if you ever lose your bacteria you'll be exposed to other people's and repopulated that way.

Answer 3

it produces and protects good bacteria in the digestive system. its not off tooo much importance thought because we can get them removed and we are able to live without them.

Answer 4

Appendix as in the body, or appendix as in a book?

Answer 5

There is recent evidence to suggest that the appendix DOES have a function.  This from CNN:

"The function of the appendix seems related to the massive amount of bacteria populating the human digestive system, according to the study in the Journal of Theoretical Biology. There are more bacteria than human cells in the typical body. Most are good and help digest food.

But sometimes the flora of bacteria in the intestines die or are purged. Diseases such as cholera or amoebic dysentery would clear the gut of useful bacteria. The appendix's job is to reboot the digestive system in that case.

The appendix "acts as a good safe house for bacteria," said Duke surgery professor Bill Parker, a study co-author. Its location _ just below the normal one-way flow of food and germs in the large intestine in a sort of gut cul-de-sac -- helps support the theory, he said.

Also, the worm-shaped organ outgrowth acts like a bacteria factory, cultivating the good germs, Parker said.

That use is not needed in a modern industrialized society, Parker said.

If a person's gut flora dies, it can usually be repopulated easily with germs they pick up from other people, he said. But before dense populations in modern times and during epidemics of cholera that affected a whole region, it wasn't as easy to grow back that bacteria and the appendix came in handy.

In less developed countries, where the appendix may be still useful, the rate of appendicitis is lower than in the U.S., other studies have shown, Parker said."

Answer 6

It has no use to us at all. It is a vestigial organ which means it used to be used by our ancestors. It used to be used in the digestion process but we have evolved and have no use for its specific purpose anymore.

Answer 7

does nothing. no function in a human being.

human beings may lose it in the coming generation. ( theory of evolution)

Answer 8

my sister is taking a biology class over the  summer and her teacher is an evolutionist. yesterday my sister told me that monkeys need it for something to do with digesting (maybe not digesting but something like that) fibers.

but since humans eat less and less fruits and veggies and more processed food, we don't use it as much as we should. hehe (:. hope this helps, and im pretty sure its accurate even though im christian, and not evolutionist...the teacher has a good explanation (:

Answer 9

it doesnt do anything,we dont need it at all

Answer 10

An apendix does nothing. It's just there. No function at all; even if it is part of the colon.

Answer 11

the apendix does nothing at all. until it burst, then your screwed

Answer 12

The appendix is a digestive organ that scientist theorize broke down big foods when we were cavemen.

It does largely nothing now, but I heard it's where your fingernails and gum go (if you eat them)

Answer 13

. it really does nothing. it can get you sick though thats y sum peeps have it removed.

Answer 14

It is useless,  there is no function for the apendix.

The vermiform appendix: background info



Figure 1: The human vermiform appendix (image reproduced with modifications from Gray 1918)  

In humans, the vermiform appendix is a small, finger-sized structure, found at the end of our small caecum and located near the beginning of the large intestine (Fawcett and Raviola 1994, p. 636; Oxford Companion to the Body 2001, pp. 42-43; Williams and Myers 1994). The adjective "vermiform" literally means "worm-like" and reflects the narrow, elongated shape of this intestinal appendage. The appendix is typically between two and eight inches long, but its length can vary from less than an inch (when present) to over a foot. The appendix is longest in childhood and gradually shrinks throughout adult life. The wall of the appendix is composed of all layers typical of the intestine, but it is thickened and contains a concentration of lymphoid tissue. Similar to the tonsils, the lymphatic tissue in the appendix is typically in a constant state of chronic inflammation, and it is generally difficult to tell the difference between pathological disease and the "normal" condition (Fawcett and Raviola 1994, p. 636). The internal diameter of the appendix, when open, has been compared to the size of a matchstick. The small opening to the appendix eventually closes in most people by middle age. A vermiform appendix is not unique to humans. It is found in all the hominoid apes, including humans, chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans, and gibbons, and it exists to varying degrees in several species of New World and Old World monkeys (Fisher 2000; Hill 1974; Scott 1980).

Answer 15

Many doctors believe the appendix is a vestigial organ with no function and is no more than a blind ended tube connected to the cecum, from which it develops embryologically or maybe the appendix's job is to "reboot" the digestive system.

Answer 16

I just copy and pasted cause I have no clue lol

Function

Given the appendix's propensity to cause death via infection, and the seemingly perfect health of those who have had their appendix removed, the biological purpose of the appendix has mystified scientists for some time. There have been cases of people who have been found, usually on laparoscopy or laparotomy, to have a congenital absence of an appendix. There have been no reports of impaired immune or gastrointestinal function in these people