Human appendix—just can’t get no respect
by Michael Matthews
The human appendix—once scorned by evolutionists as a useless ‘vestigial
organ’—long ago earned the respect of medical doctors. Unfortunately,
this truth has not filtered down to textbooks and the popular press. Just
recently, the Associated Press distributed an article to US newspapers on the appendix
1, warning readers that
doctors often misdiagnose other ailments as ‘appendicitis’ and opt for
removal. (A major study found that 15% of removed appendixes were normal.)
The AP article reinforced the persistent belief that the
appendix is a useless organ, leftover from our evolutionary past, by claiming ‘the
appendix … has no real function.’
We all might be dead, in fact, if we were born without
an appendix.
You see, the appendix is a highly specialized organ with
a rich blood supply, not what you would expect from a degenerate, useless structure.
It has long been known that the appendix contains lymphatic tissue and has a role
in controlling bacteria entering the intestines (see Frederic H. Martini, Fundamentals
of Anatomy and Physiology, 1995).
A clue to the appendix’s function is its strategic
position where the small bowel meets the colon. The colon is loaded with bacteria
that are useful there, but which must be kept away from other areas. The appendix’s
main role is likely to be in early childhood (see ‘Your
Appendix: It’s there for a reason’). The organ’s highly
concentrated lymphoid follicles, which play an important role in the immune system,
develop about two weeks after birth—at the same time that the colon begins
to be colonized with the necessary bacteria.
At one time evolutionists postulated there were 180 ‘vestigial’
structures in the human body. Today this list has shrunk to virtually
zero. No organ should be removed without good reason!
For in-depth information, please read ‘The Human Vermiform
Appendix—a General Surgeon’s Reflections.’
Reference
- Tanner, L., Study urges appendix caution, Cincinnati Enquirer, 15 July
2002.
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