Why do humans have an appendix? New research is reshaping our understanding of this overlooked organ and its antiquated role ...

You don’t need it – and if it bursts, you need surgery fast. That basic story traces back at least to Charles Darwin, the ...

DURHAM, N.C. – The lowly appendix, long-regarded as a useless evolutionary artifact, won newfound respect two years ago when researchers at Duke University Medical Center proposed that it actually ...

The lowly appendix may have a purpose after all. New research suggests that the seemingly useless organ provides a safe haven for good bacteria to hang out in the gut. University Medical Center, says ...

When doctors and patients consider the appendix, it's often with urgency. In cases of appendicitis, the clock could be ticking down to a life-threatening burst. Thus, despite recent research ...

For years, the appendix carried a reputation as the body’s most pointless organ. Doctors often removed it without hesitation, and textbooks labeled it a vestigial structure—something our ancestors ...

The appendix, a once-dismissed organ now known to play a role in the immune system, may contribute to a person’s chances of developing Parkinson’s disease. An analysis of data from nearly 1.7 million ...