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What does the appendix do? Biologists explain the complicated evolution of this inconvenient organ
The appendix evolved independently at least 32 times in mammals and supports immune function by regulating gut microbes, challenging the notion it is vestigial.
- Tufts University researchers Phil Starks and Lilia Goncharova reviewed appendix literature and found the appendix evolved independently at least 32 times in mammals, showing convergent evolution.
- Charles Darwin long described the appendix as a vestige from plant-eating ancestors, but revisiting this assumption revealed structural diversity suggesting repeated evolutionary tinkering.
- The appendix supports immunity by housing gut-associated lymphoid tissue and lymphoid follicles that produce immunoglobulin A and may shelter beneficial microbes in biofilms.
- In modern, high-sanitation contexts the appendix's historical benefits have waned, as appendicitis remains life-threatening and appendectomy does not reduce fertility, despite older concerns about tubal adhesions.
- The organ's history highlights a core evolutionary medicine principle as convergent evolution of appendix-like structures reflects past diarrheal disease in ancestral environments.
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19 Articles
19 Articles
The Conversation+17 Reposted by 17 other sources
What does the appendix do? Biologists explain the complicated evolution of this inconvenient organ
Most people get acquainted with their appendix when it's inflamed and about to rupture. Sebastian Kaulitzki/Science Photo Library via Getty ImagesMost people know only two things about the appendix: You don’t need it – and if it bursts, you need surgery fast. That basic story traces back at least to Charles Darwin, the English naturalist who developed the theory of natural selection. In “The Descent of Man,” he described the appendix as a vestig…
Coverage Details
Total News Sources19
Leaning Left3Leaning Right2Center6Last UpdatedBias Distribution55% Center
Bias Distribution
- 55% of the sources are Center
55% Center
L 27%
C 55%
R 18%
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