It was the first day of spring break in 1992 in Phoenix, Ariz. and 12-year-old Heather Smith was excited for her family's upcoming ski trip. But before Smith and her family had even packed their snow ...

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

The appendix is actually part of your immune system. Just because you can live without it doesn't mean you don't need it. Why can't people realise this? originally appeared on Quora: the place to gain ...

Some scientists think they have figured out the real job of the troublesome and seemingly useless appendix: It produces and protects good germs for your gut. That's the theory from surgeons and ...

The human appendix, a narrow pouch that projects off the cecum in the digestive system, has a notorious reputation for its tendency to become inflamed (appendicitis), often resulting in surgical ...

The body organ known as the appendix has long been claimed to have no known function, but recent research has shown that this statement is far from the truth. The newest study, from Midwestern ...

MINNEAPOLIS — Stephen Colbert is away from late-night TV following emergency surgery last week — the comedian's appendix burst. That made us wonder: What does the appendix do for our body? And why are ...