To What Extent is the Appendix Useless

My article discusses the extent of the uselessness of the appendix depending on the age of the person; it also investigates the foetal process and how the appendix would help in the maturation of the foetus, intending to cause swift development in early life. My project also explores how important the appendix is when battling infections and harmful bacteria from getting into the immune system.

Appendix Introduction

What is the appendix?

The appendix is a tube-shaped sac attached to an opening into the lower end of the large intestine in humans and some other mammals.’ The appendix is an organ that shrinks with age and shrinks after a generation has passed. After research was conducted, it was called a vestigial organ but is now identified as a lymphoid organ. The appendix is projected out from the large intestine after the cecum and ileum. It is said to be part of the digestive system because it sits next to the large and small intestine, but it is said that it isn’t part of the immune system, according to Oxford Languages.

What is the Appendix’s function?

In humans, the appendix reinforces and supports the immune system, but it isn’t said to be a part of it. It has a high concentration of immune cells within its walls and now functions as a lymphoid organ. Lymphoid organs aid in the maturation of immune cells called lymphocytes. The human appendix helps in the maturation of specific lymphocytes called B-cells. These B-cells are responsible for producing antibodies that attack the invading bacteria, viruses and toxins that are detrimental to your body. The appendix is also involved in the production of certain molecules that help direct the movement of lymphocytes to various other locations in the body. A type of antibody is called Immunoglobin A (IgA) is produced in the appendix. This antibody plays a significant role in mucosal immunity. The appendix is also a storehouse for beneficial bacteria. These good bacteria help the gut recover from further infections by injurious bacteria.

Why is the Appendix contained in human anatomy?

Centuries ago, our ancestors had an appendix for the equivalent purpose as herbivores do today which is to digest cellulose and micronutrients in tough plants or tree bark. As the appendix is connected to the large intestine, it suggests that it has a role in the digestive system. We lost the need for the appendix when cooking started to become common as the appendix broke down organic plant matter. It is also said that it acts as a bacteria safehouse and it sends antibodies to attack harmful bacteria, viruses, and toxins. If the bacteria were harmful it would fill the appendix and go into the large intestines. Thus, the appendix is very useful.

What are the origins of the Appendix?

The appendix was mainly used as a means of digestion for leaves, according to Charles Darwin, and adapted to take on a new function about the cause of evolution. This theory tends to support the very long cecum of certain herbivorous species, such as the horse or the koala. Proof also reveals that our ancestral ancestors used their appendixes to digest hard foods such as tree bark, but now we are not using ours for digestion of that calibre. Some scientists think the appendix is going to vanish from our bodies, although if a person has an appendix it would likely pass on through their genes.

What, now, is the purpose of the Appendix?

For healthy bacteria, the appendix serves as a safe house. The appendix repopulates and reboots the intestine after acute diarrhoea with healthy bacteria before bad bacteria find a home there. Humans are not the only appendix-containing creatures; some 533 species of mammals exist with an appendix as an organ.

Is the Appendix essential for human life?

Researchers believe that the appendix is used for the protection of healthy gut bacteria. That way, the good bacteria in the appendix will repopulate the digestive system and keep you well if the gut is compromised by a bout of diarrhoea or other diseases that clears out the intestines and keep you healthy. To answer the question, the appendix is needed for an outbreak like Covid-19 so it can strengthen our immune system, but otherwise, it is not needed, and people can live without it.

How useful is the Appendix?

Does the Appendix aid foetus development?

The appendix is also believed to assist foetuses to develop. The development of the appendix begins during the 5th foetal week and shows very rapid development early in life. It is at its longest in size in childhood and diminishes in size throughout adulthood. Special cells called endocrine cells appear in the appendix of the human foetus in the 11th week of development. These special cells in the foetal appendix produce important neurotransmitters and hormones, which help in various biological control mechanisms and metabolic processes that are needed for early development.

What else can it be used for?

In separate repair treatments for areas of the gastrointestinal tract, the appendix is used. The appendix can be used to replace the muscles of the sphincter and diseased ureters, allowing urine to flow to the bladder from the kidneys. The appendix's versatility is exceptional, as it is one of the few organs that can change its function. For various reconstructive surgical procedures, it is now the replacement. This explains why the appendix that was previously called a vestigial is now a replacement for surgical techniques.

How is the lymphoid tissue connected to the appendix and what does it help with?

The lymphoid tissue helps to strengthen immunity and is supposed to stimulate the growth of healthy bacteria in the gut. So, it is correct to say that the appendix acts as a safe house for good bacteria, as the lymphoid tissue lives in the appendix and different areas of the human body. As stated before that the appendix is suggested to be in the digestive system due to it being between the large and small intestine and it not being in the immune system, but due to it having layers of lymphoid tissue it suggests that it may be a part of the immune system. The lymphatic tissue begins to develop in the appendix in the 14th or the 15th week of gestation. The first accumulation of lymphatic tissue occurs directly below the epithelium because some lymphocytes penetrate the appendix’s epithelial layer.

What does the Appendix do in the Gastrointestinal Tract?

Scientists have confidence that the appendix repopulates the gastrointestinal tract with good bacteria and gives fortification to the good bacteria stored in the gut when there is an infection in the body. The appendix starts to repopulate the good bacteria in the gut when the infection is gone, due to the antibodies the appendix created.

Risks of keeping the Appendix:

Keeping the appendix can be good and beneficial to your body’s immunity but keeping it has some fatal risks. So, the types of ways to get your appendix taken away are shown below.

Is the Appendix dangerous?

The appendix can be treacherous in the body in some people, as it can cause death due to infection. Sometimes the appendix can start to inflame, swell, and become painful. If it isn’t treated quickly it could burst and cause the person to die. Appendicitis may be caused by various infections such as bacteria, viral infections or parasites that are in the digestive tract or the tube connecting the large intestine and the appendix could be blocked or trapped, thus leading it to swell up and become painful.

There are many misconceptions about people thinking they have appendicitis, but it is just a bruise that has started to swell and become painful. Since the late 1800s, appendicitis has been treated by the removal of the appendix, but it can sometimes heal itself on its own. Appendicitis symptoms have to be treated before 72 hours or they can burst and kill you. The symptoms of appendicitis include pain near the belly button, low fever, loss of appetite, loss of energy, inability to pass gas, nausea, and vomiting. You also may not be able to pass gas, you will have constipation, you will not be able to vomit, and you will have a fever.

Although, research has shown that people that have had their appendix removed are 4 times more likely to be fatal and to have a recurrence of a bacterial infection that causes diarrhoea, fever, nausea, and abdominal pain.

Does the removal of the Appendix affect the Immune System?

The amputation of the appendix is associated with many moderate long-term effects on the immune system and alterations in the risk of some autoimmune disorders. Studies suggest that 10%-20% of young people have either gotten their tonsils or their appendix removed. The surgical removal of the tonsils or appendix was associated with an increased risk of a premature heart attack in a large population study performed in Sweden. The risk is greater when both the appendix and tonsils were removed from the same person.

How does the Appendix become infected?

Some reason for your appendix to get infected includes:

-Bacteria -Inflammation

-Viruses

-Hardened Faecal Matter

-Enlarged Tissues

-Parasites

-Ulcers

-Abdominal Rips or tearing

What diseases can Appendix symptoms mimic?

Appendix symptoms can mimic:

-Chron’s Disease

-Ulcerative Colitis

-Gall Bladder Problems

-Urinary Tract Infections

-Pelvic Inflammatory Disease

-Stomach Problems

-Intestinal Blockages

What are the risks of having an appendectomy?

An Appendectomy is the removal of the Appendix.

Although having your appendix removed is good if it gets infected there are many side effects with it.

Here are some of the risks of having an Appendectomy including:

-Bleeding

-Blocked Bowels

-Wound Infection

-Injury to nearby organs

-Infection, redness, and inflammation of the abdomen if the appendix bursts during the surgery (peritonitis)

Some other risks can be unique to a type of person due to their immune system or their genes that they had inherited.

What has research found?

Heather F. Smith, PhD, associate professor at Midwestern University Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine, has studied the evolution of gastrointestinal traits across different animal species. Using the research, she had gathered, it was put into the Comptes Rendus Palevol, which analysed the presence or absence of the appendix across 533 different animal species. She had also found out that the appendix had evolved independently across some genetic ancestral ‘trees’, apparently more than 30 separate times. Besides, the appendix had seldom disappeared from a lineage once it had appeared. She had also suggested that the organ remains in the body for a reason. Smith and her co-authors had to reject several previous hypotheses quoting that the appendix is linked to dietary and environmental factors. But they did make an important discovery: species who have an appendix tend to have higher concentrations of lymphoid tissue in their cecum (a tube that connects the large intestine to the small intestine).

Conclusion

To answer the question, ‘To what extent is the Appendix useless’; the appendix is more useful compared to the uselessness of it. It is useful in the sense of foetal development and mucosal immunity; however, it is not needed, although it can cause side effects if it is taken out.

References

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/vermiform-appendix

https://time.com/4631305/appendicitis-appendix-gut-bacteria

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/treatment-tests-and-therapies/appendectomy

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/how-to-tell-if-that-pain-is-your-appendix/

https://www.lexico.com/definition/appendix

https://www.everydayhealth.com/appendicitis/guide/appendix/

https://www.premierhealth.com/your-health/articles/women-wisdom-wellness-/surprising-news-about-your-appendix-and-appendicitis

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110601075128.htm#:~:text=Behind%20the%20study%20lay%20evidence,have%20tonsils%20or%20appendix%20removed.

https://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/news/20071012/appendix-may-have-purpose#1

https://kashmirreader.com/2020/10/10/stop-calling-the-appendix-a-vestigial-organ/

https://thekashmirimages.com/2020/10/09/appendix-not-a-vestigial-organ/#:~:text=The%20development%20of%20appendix%20begins,diminishes%20in%20size%20throughout%20adulthood.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/vermiform-appendix

https://time.com/4631305/appendicitis-appendix-gut-bacteria/