Not a fact anymore
The human appendix is a useless vestigial organ with no biological function.
What we know now
The appendix contains abundant immune tissue and may help maintain or restore gut microbial communities. It is not essential, and most people can live normally after it is removed.
Why it changed
Research in anatomy, immunology, and the microbiome showed organized lymphoid tissue and distinctive microbial communities in the appendix, replacing the simple idea of a useless remnant.
- Status
- Superseded
- Category
- Medicine
- Accepted for
- ≈122 years
- Accepted approximately
- Late 19th through much of the 20th century
- Changed approximately
- Late 20th century–present