id: 5321
title: The appendix.
date: 2024-03-17

The appendix.

While commonly regarded as pointless, the appendix actually serves the important role of providing a safe place for “good” bacteria to hang out. This is valuable during gastrointestinal events where bacterial colonies may otherwise be disrupted or destroyed, as the appendix offers a way to rëestablish the colonies after.rS11

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    Selena Simmons-Duffin, “Your Appendix Is Not, in Fact, Useless. This Anatomy Professor Explains,” NPR, February 2, 2024, sec. Short Wave, https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2024/02/02/1228474984/appendix-function-appendicitis-gut-health. (See notes.)