What does your appendix actually do? I know people who have had theirs removed entirely – if we can survive without it,

Question: What does your appendix actually do? I know people who have had theirs removed entirely - if we can survive without it, then why have we evolved to have an appendix?
- Keywords:
  appendix,
  evolution
Asked by anon-251974 on 27 Apr 2020.
- Maria Marti answered on 27 Apr 2020:
  
  For a long time, scientists thought the appendix may not do that much and, as you say, you can indeed live without an appendix. Newer studies, however, have suggested that the appendix could function as a refuge for some of the beneficial bacteria that live in our digestive system.
- Pawan Singh answered on 27 Apr 2020:
  
  There are lots of vestigial organ in our body like the appendix (other examples are Coccyx, wisdom teeth etc) which we think to have is a part of over evolutionary process but there use have reduced to minimal over the evolution. The appendix has also been suggested to work for our immune system to fight with pathogens besides aid in the digestive process. Still, we don’t understand they are completely useless or still have important functions which still have to discover.
- Melanie Krause answered on 27 Apr 2020:
  
  For many years doctors and scientists thought the appendix is useless.. same goes for your tonsils. And it is true that we can survive without them.. but new research has found that both appendix and tonsils might be part of the immune system. So even though you can live a perfectly long and happy life without them.. both might help you to overcome infections more easily.
- Ella Mercer answered on 27 Apr 2020:
  
  The other scientists here have answered your question – we’re not entirely sure! But possibly helps our immune system work better. I had my appendix taken out when I was 17 and my tonsils out when I was 19 … hopefully my immune system won’t miss them too much!
- Nina Rzechorzek answered on 28 Apr 2020:
  
  Great question galaxia! The bottom line is that we’re still not sure. Here is a nice overview (although a little outdated now)
  https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-is-the-function-of-the-human-appendix-did-it-once-have-a-purpose-that-has-since-been-lost/
  And more recent findings – this theory makes sense to me:
  https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090820175901.htm
- Robert Ives answered on 29 Apr 2020:
  
  I like Maria’s response, especially as we are rapidly learning that the bacteria inside us are so important to our survival (‘microbiome’ will be one of the most touted words in science over the next few years).
  From an evolutionary point of view, I don’t know whether the appendix developed for another reason, but it does seem (at the moment) that perhaps there is no major advantage of having or not having an appendix and so no impact on the ‘fitness’ of humans and hence why it may have remained unchanged in generations of humans for so long. But again, in line with Maria’s comment, watch this space!
- Andrew Beale answered on 1 May 2020:
  
  Thanks for your question! I’ve always wondered about this myself and thanks to the other scientists who have answered I now know the answer!

Question: What does your appendix actually do? I know people who have had theirs removed entirely - if we can survive without it, then why have we evolved to have an appendix?

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