What is the medical purpose of the human appendix?
Appendix in humans is considered as a vestigial organ. That means an organ which is having no particular function and simply a remnant of some useful organs in our ancestors during evolution. In vegetarian animals like cows, they have to take more amount of food, as the energy efficiency is very less compared to carnivores. So they have to retain more food in the digestive system, and the function of appendix was this storage. Now it has been established that appendix is playing a major role in the production and maturation of cells and molecules of the immune system. It has been clear in the case of embryos, but not clear in the case of adults. It is believed that appendix is acting as a lymphoid organ, by destroying the attacking particles and cells. Also during the embryonic stage, some endocrine cells are seen attached to the appendix, but the function is not yet clear. Studies are still going on to explain the actual role of appendix in humans.
