Mar 30, 2021 08:00:00

What is the unknown function of 'appendicitis', which has a deep-rooted image of appendicitis?

The appendix is an organ located at the end of the large intestine and was previously considered unnecessary, so in order to prevent acute appendicitis (cecum) , a healthy appendix was sometimes removed in addition to laparotomy. Live Science , a scientific media, explains the unknown functions of such an appendix.

What if humans didn't have an appendix? | Live Science
https://www.livescience.com/what-if-no-appendix.html

According to a 2014 National Institutes of Health report , 1 in 20 Americans experience acute appendicitis and severe inflammation. It has also been reported that 1 in 100,000 people will have no appendix, and many people recognize the appendix as 'a useless organ that only causes appendicitis.'

However,

in 2007, Associate Professor William Parker of Duke University School of Medicine discovered that the appendix was used as a 'reservoir of gut microbiota.'

Bacteria such as lactic acid bacteria and Escherichia coli form a microbiome in the intestine, but some diseases may wash away the good and bad bacteria in the intestine. At this time, it is known that the lost intestinal microbiome is regenerated by supplying bacteria from the appendix to the intestine. 'If the human body does not have an appendix, people will need frequent stool transplants to improve the intestinal environment,' Parker said, emphasizing the importance of the appendix. ..

In 2009,

Heather Smith, a researcher in evolutionary biology at Midwestern State University , found that lymphoid tissue is concentrated in the appendix, producing large amounts of white blood cells to help the organism's immunity. Has been discovered . Smith also revealed that the appendix is an organ that has been passed down from mammals over 80 million years ago.

On the other hand, in 2018, excision of the appendix was found to reduce the incidence of Parkinson's disease. 'In the world, more than 10 million appendicitis are confirmed each year, and 50,000 people die from appendicitis. Without the appendix, no one would die from appendicitis and surgery. There is no need for fees or hospitalization fees, 'he said, and there are various opinions on the theory of the necessity of appendix.

It turns out that internal organs that are considered unnecessary for humans are greatly involved in the development of Parkinson's disease --GIGAZINE