What is the likely purpose of the human appendix?
The purpose of the human appendix is something of a physiological mystery; however, several possible answers have been suggested. One theory states that the human appendix may have once served the same purpose it does in present-day herbivores (plant-eating animals)—to harbor colonies of bacteria that help in the digestion of cellulose in plant material. Another theory suggests that the human appendix—as well as the tonsils, the spleen, lymph nodes, and bone marrow—manufacture the antibody-producing white blood cells called B-lymphocytes. A third theory is that the appendix may “attract” infections within the body. In that way, infections become localized in one organ that is not critical to body function. Sources: Barnard, Christiaan. The Body Machine, p. 127; Feldman, David. Do Penguins Have Knees? pp. 152-53; The…
