Saint_Michael
Oct 5 2007, 10:04 PM
| | For thousands of years, well maybe hundreds of years, the appendix was the most useless organ in all our human body, yet could kill a person if it became inflamed. in some interesting notes about the appendix is that on average over 300,000 people get them removed a year, and on average three to four hundred people die from appendicitis each year as well. The University of Michigan team lead by Gary Huffnagle, theorized that the appendix is use to generate the good germs inside the human body or more importantly the stomach and intestines and all that yummy stuff.
I have to say FINALLY!!! I can't believe it took this long to find a story to this organ, or at least a possibility what this little organ does. Well at least it is something, now if we can figure out how to slow dow the aging process we be set  . |
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Dagoth Nereviar
Oct 5 2007, 10:55 PM
Finally Although it's only a theory, I'm sure there's been many more. But, if it does release the good germs, why can we live without it? Maybe it was used so we could eat/help us eat raw meat, but now we can't (or we can't tolerate it as much) thus the appendix is useless?
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I've always thought that people have organs for a reason. Although the job of the appendix isn't vital to life, if it's responsible for getting us good bacteria, then it's pretty important to the digestive system.
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Tetraca
Oct 6 2007, 02:01 AM
We have many useless things in our bodies - tailbones, male nipples, et cetera. It wouldn't be a suprise if the appendix is just a lump of tissue which was left over from the development of the intestine, but I guess this is an interesting possibility, though people obviously can live normal, healthy lives without the thing, unlike, say a kidney which can reduce the lifespan of the donator IIRC.
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Will.Allison
Oct 6 2007, 06:25 AM
Very interesting. The reason, at least as i was taught, how we get these useless body parts is we needed them for some reason in the past and then evolved to not need them but the evolution never took out the organ. This guys theory is weird though since we can live without it. Havent they done studies before that show no difference between people with appendixes and people without? If they do create this germ, it must barely make a difference at all.
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csp4.0
Oct 6 2007, 07:40 AM
yes... a very interesting theory indeed. But if it does generate the good bacteria it would in fact be a very important organ so if it were removed it would be very bad for the human digestve system.
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truefusion
Oct 6 2007, 09:37 AM
Hmm? This is old news; i heard about this years ago. It is also said that people who have their appendixes removed tend to get sick more easily than those who still have their appendixes, since these good bacteria it produces can no longer be used by the body to defend or whatever. A bit hard to remember what i heard years ago...
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hitmanblood
Oct 6 2007, 04:32 PM
Well I don't know whether this knowledge of my comes from Biology books or I have read it somewhere or I might even hear it on some show or see it on soem channel like discovery or national biographics. However, this is what I heared about appendix. Appendix is in fact organ that is no more in use by our organism and because of that it is so small and needless well I don't know how to say or better to say I cannot find good word for this but it is obsolete well I think that this might be the best explanation of appendix after all. So what was it in use for? Appendix is extension of digested organs and before we eveolved and find out that meat made of fire is better then just eating raw meat appendix was still in use however now that is at certain point in time of evolution we find out that we can use fire and we started it using extensively and prepared all the meat on fire appendix became obsolete and our body don't need it anymore and that is why it became obsolete and this is the main reasons why it looks like that today small and useless. However, before when we were still using and eating raw meat and mostly raw food appendix was more in use and that is why it why it survived till the point in time when we started using fire. Also it produced certain ensims that were in use to digest raw meat and other raw products we inputed in our organism. So, this is the story of one small appendix.
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Plenoptic
Oct 6 2007, 08:48 PM
I haven't really thought about what the appendix ever was for. All I knew is that a lot of people had them taken out after it became inflamed. So now we have two conflicting stories, it's no longer in use because we don't need it anymore, and the other being it possibly produces good bacteria or does to help fight off sickness. I would believe either one with enough evidence. We have changed a lot and grown a lot since the early years of mankind and somethings have become more important than others.
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TikiPrincess
Oct 6 2007, 09:47 PM
hmmmm.... when you combine the theory Saint_Michael presents and the one from hitmanblood, it all kinda fits together. If the appendix was there to help people digest raw meat, it probably produces antibacteria to prevent people from becoming sick from bacteria that may develop on uncooked food. Since people have developed technology and now cook food instead of eating it raw or preparing it in a way to keep it safe from contamination (like sushi or steak tartar), then the appendix isn't really necessary. However, it probably still produces antibacteria and helps support the immune system, like it did before, just to a lesser extent. You can live without it, but you might be prone to getting food poisoning or sick from a bacterial infection.
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iGuest
Sep 2 2009, 07:22 PM
The Human Appendix Might Have A Use After All
The Human Appendix Might Have A Use After All
Oh, yes, I strongly believe the appendix have a function regarding digestion of the food, we humans consume, which is very diverse, from where I come from. Actually, when it's not there, the body has to compensate in the more subtle digestion - somehow - and, perhaps to the rest of the people, in the world, who has had theirs removed - this is easily done (?), but in my case, I constantly feel the lack something, and ever since I had mine removed, I have been trying to "reactivate" it, I believe, and in the same time, help my body digest the food, I eat - by running, for instance, or doing stomach excercises.
I believe, it has changed my "metabolism", to use a hi-tech word, and, that I cannot eat everything, I want to, if I shall "stay sharp", in my mind. It oftens snap me out of concentration - or rather, when digesting is "loose", so are your thoughts. Thats, what I have concluded, so far. Like, you have a good feeling, when you feel really "saturated", or full, you take more chances in life - and it is EXACTLY that feeling, I have been missing, for MANY years now. Had the subject in title removed 23 years ago.
Perhaps, other people can't eat everything, they want to, either, but my food digestion is somehow malfunctioning - meaning, that often the food processes right through my system, much too fast! The red meat from the above commets, are good examples. (Or half cooked, anyway) I try to compensate now, with milk acid bacteria pills, for instance, and herbal products to stop the production, in the right place, the cecum. (I feel, it helps a bit, anyway!)
If I could choose (I could not, as I followed the advice of my parents, and, those in the neighbourhood, who believed knew), I would have done much more, to fight the appenticitis, I had, many years ago, in the age of 12, for instance by stomach excercises. The question is, why do appenticitis occur in the first place, is something stuck within, the rumor is, that food sometimes can move itself into this organ? Can this then "manually" be freed, by specifically targeted excercise? Who knows. Or, with antibiotics, and this, in combination? Would have wanted to try this, before going to the hospital, anyway.
Hope, I am not sounding too weird, but I'll even go to the point, of wishing, that I could have this organ retransplantet. Has any of you heard the slightest of this procedure, do not hesitate to write. Anyway, according to nowadays practice, this do not seem to be a possability, in any near future - if ever ? So, do not know, if that wish ever will come through, but that will not keep me from wishing it! Take care, live long, and prosper!
-reply by OneSmallAppendixForMan
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velma
Oct 15 2007, 06:16 PM
Hi, Yes I can agree that it took some time for the function to be found but like they say "Better Late Than Never" . Anyway.... Saint Michael and hitmanblood gave good explanations for the function of the appendix.. I guess when raw food was ingested by man, the enzymes were not strong enough therefore the appendix would produce bacteria that would help in digestion. But when food was being cooked, half of the digestion was already being done so there was no need for the appendix and it became a vestigial organ
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FLaKes
Oct 8 2007, 08:11 AM
Do you think this will be an organ that people in the future will stop having? I too, also wonder if it really generates good germs than how can people live without it. Maybe those good germs arent needed that much, I wonder why people's appendix gets inflamed. I would agree with what another person said about that maybe the good germs were used to help humans eat raw meat or something, and now they are no longer used.
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sheepdog
Oct 8 2007, 12:51 AM
Hummmm....well, I've always heard the apendix secreated an enzyme that helped digest raw meat. And, while some of us may be more civilized than others, not everyone prefers their steaks well done, and then there's always that sushi stuff, so if ya'll don't mind, I'm hanging on to my apendix. I like my steaks "mooing and kicking" thank you. And since I give my apendix plenty to do, maybe it will just stay healthy.
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truefusion
Oct 7 2007, 07:25 PM
QUOTE(hitmanblood @ Oct 6 2007, 12:32 PM)  Appendix is in fact organ that is no more in use by our organism and because of that it is so small and needless well I don't know how to say or better to say I cannot find good word for this but it is obsolete well I think that this might be the best explanation of appendix after all. So what was it in use for? Appendix is extension of digested organs and before we eveolved and find out that meat made of fire is better then just eating raw meat appendix was still in use however now that is at certain point in time of evolution we find out that we can use fire and we started it using extensively and prepared all the meat on fire appendix became obsolete and our body don't need it anymore and that is why it became obsolete and this is the main reasons why it looks like that today small and useless. However, before when we were still using and eating raw meat and mostly raw food appendix was more in use and that is why it why it survived till the point in time when we started using fire. Also it produced certain ensims that were in use to digest raw meat and other raw products we inputed in our organism. This doesn't make any sense to me. You imply cave-man times, and according to the theory of evolution, we have evolved several times since that stage. If during the cave-man times the appendix became obsolete, by the time we became what we are today, the appendix would not exist in our bodies, for it has become obsolete like you say it is. It would not be "as small as it is today," it just wouldn't be there, period. But we still have it today, therefore, it must still have a use. And how do you know the appendix was bigger back then? Did it really need to be that big? I mean, how long does food take before it reaches the appendix? If the food was deadly, it would have caused damage to the digestive system up till it reaches the appendix, assuming the appendix was as strong as you imply it was back then. Also, did you see a cave-man's appendix? Didn't we find a "cave man" somewhere along the line? Did anyone check the size of its appendix? QUOTE(Dagoth Nereviar @ Oct 6 2007, 07:35 PM) As for imflamed appendicies, prehaps that's because too much of the good germ is been made with no where for it to go? Or some sort of accidental chemical reaction took place, possibly due to the good germs not being used? Unless the organ became unstable, it would have no reason for it to create more of what it normally needs. A more possible explanation is that any bad bacteria that got in there was too much to handle for the good bacteria.
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