It used to be that the appendix was an atavistic trait that was preserved only in humans. And this means that he appeared many times during the evolution of living beings far from each other by the origin. So, his appearance was caused by some kind of necessity.

Where is the appendix located?

For a long time we looked at him, seeing only an annoying hindrance. The appendix looks like a narrow tube (half a pencil in size, although almost half a meter long is described in medicine), the tube leaves the cecum down, very close to the entrance to the rectum. Even Darwin said that eating rough food, our ancestors needed a rather voluminous cecum, this helped normal digestion.

Millions of years ago, the appendix was a useful section in the intestines. But since then it has regressed to a modern, small volume. For example, koalas that feed on the coarse leaves of eucalyptus have an almost two-meter cecum.

Why do we need an appendix?

The appendix can be removed, until recently in some countries this was considered a mandatory operation, even in infants. But just recently, for the slightest reason, children were removed and adenoids, but now it turned out that without them the immune system suffers. Still, nature was very concerned when it created our body.

It turns out that a seemingly useless process can hide in itself a supply of beneficial microorganisms.They use the appendix as a refuge, because intestinal infections can hardly penetrate into its narrow passage.

Therefore, if simple, but such unpleasant diarrhea removes from the body not only the culprits of the problem, but also all other microorganisms, there is a chance that the beneficial bacteria that survived in the appendix will again colonize the intestines.