The appendix, the small, dead-end pouch attached to the large intestine, is popularly known as the body part that does nothing except cause trouble: About 1 in 10 of us will suffer from an inflamed appendix at some point. Doctors and scientists are still unsure whether the appendix normally performs any useful function, nor do they fully comprehend what causes it to go haywire. Only recently have researchers begun to dig up some meaningful clues about this seemingly useless body part.
Immunologist William Parker of Duke University examined samples of normal tissue from organ donors and from patients who had healthy appendixes removed during other surgeries. He found that friendly bacteria thrive in the appendix, suggesting that the organ is a haven for beneficial microbes. During infections good bacteria in the gut can become depleted; the appendix may repopulate our internal ecosystem after an illness. “Think of your appendix as ...
