This is the organ which has made many surgeons, well experienced!
By the way there was a time we could even eat Grass or tree bark which was because of this very organ!
Now it being one of the smallest organ in the GUT; has the most content dedicated in the surgical textbooks and the most space in the clinical experience of a GE surgeon!
Then again its namesake also forms a part of every text book!
Now every surgeon would have understood the organ!
It is the Appendix!
The appendix was thought to be the diminished remnant of the long caecum, which herbivores have to help digest cellulose. Evidence suggests that our evolutionary ancestors used their appendixes to digest tough food like tree bark!
Now we’re herbivores at heart, but we don’t need to digest cellulose, so the appendix was considered redundant in us!
But not now!
It is now known to have a useful immune and microbiome function, particularly as a “safe house” for beneficial gut bacteria that can repopulate the gut after illness!
While the appendix can be removed without causing long-term health issues, its evolutionary persistence suggests an adaptive function, possibly even linking to longevity due to its role in immune and gut health!
The appendix contains immune tissue that plays a role in the immune system, especially in early life.
It contributes to the maturation of B lymphocytes and the production of antibodies.
The appendix has been shown to have endocrine cells that produce hormones important for biological control in fetuses and young adults.
One of the most important roles is that the appendix is considered a “safe house” or reservoir for beneficial gut bacteria.
This is helpful in repopulating the gut!
During an illness like severe diarrhea that flushes out gut bacteria, the appendix can provide a source to repopulate the gut with beneficial flora!
It apparently also helps maintain the balance of good and bad bacteria in the digestive system!
Research has found that mammals with an appendix may have a longer lifespan compared to those without one, potentially due to better immune function and protection against infectious diarrhea!
Now now! Those without their appendix do not have to feel left ‘out’!
If the appendix is removed, other parts of the gut will take over its functions, but the absence of the “safe house” may slightly increase the risk of infection from certain pathogens! So if your appendix is out; try to eat healthy and clean!
And if you are out of country, it is when you miss it the most! Especially your own state and place!
Happy Karnataka Rajyotsava!
A dedication to one of the gems of Kannada!
Shubh ratri…
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