• Question: as the appendix has lost its purpose in the human body do you think over time humans will be born without one ?

    Asked by chloe123karate to Ed, Katie, Sam, Steve, Vera on 15 Jun 2011.
    • Photo: Vera Weisbecker

      Vera Weisbecker answered on 15 Jun 2011:

      The appendix hasn’t quite lost it’s purpose. It is actually part of the immune system now and helps us stay healthy and fend of bad bacteria. It is not vitally important but it helps, which is probably why it’s still there. I can imagine that over time, humans can be born without one – maybe the neigbhouring tissues will end up taking up immune function then.

    • Photo: Sam Tazzyman

      Sam Tazzyman answered on 15 Jun 2011:

      I hope it doesn’t have too much of an important purpose – my appendix was removed when I had appendicitis when I was 8!

      The fact that we have an appendix at all is a great example of evidence for evolution, since it is something we share with other mammals (other examples include having four limbs, suckling our young with milk, and having body hair).

    • Photo: Katie Marriott

      Katie Marriott answered on 15 Jun 2011:

      What Vera said!

    • Photo: Steven Daly

      Steven Daly answered on 15 Jun 2011:

      Vera is right, the appendix does still have a job. It acts as a store for the bacteria that live in your intestines, so they can re-colonise if anything goes wrong (like having an upset stomach). Up to 1kg of your total body weight can be bacteria! But they are ‘good’ bacteria, they help us digest bits of food that we can’t digest ourselves.

    • Photo: Ed Morrison

      Ed Morrison answered on 15 Jun 2011:

      I didn’t know the appendix has a function, that’s really interesting. But if there were any part of the human body that has lost its function, then it’s quite possible it might disappear from future humans.

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