Thread: Appendix

Did they ever find a use for the appendix besides being God's kill switch?

I just got mine taken out. Monday night is when the pain set in. Tuesday I took my finals when I was in extraordinary pain.
Also, what is the difference between Oxycodone and Hydrocodone. Hydro's make me sick while oxy's make me feel good. (The oxycodone just kicked in)

the funny thing is that natural selection may now be at the stage where it prevents the appendix from getting any smaller : if it were smaller, an inflamed appendix would become even more likely; hence people with a smaller than normal appendix would be at a severe selective disadvantage, if it were not for medical intervention (unless they managed to be born with no appendix altogether)

The caecum in herbivores seems to function as both a lymphoid organ and a digestive organ. So, the human appendix may have lost it's digestive properties but it may still play a part in the immune system.

Also, marnix is right about the inflammation thing as well, natural selection might be incapable of effectively getting rid of the appendix.