Appendix - is the appendix of the cecum. For a long time the appendix is considered unnecessary body, which we inherited from our ancestors. In herbivorous well developed cecum. There fermented pulp. Initially we assumed that our ancestors in the appendix also digested vegetable food.
About a hundred years ago, we found that in the wall of the appendix has lymphoid plaque, and decided that he was somehow involved in immunity.
Then he decided that the appendix may be a good reservoir of beneficial microbes.
Storage tank
Everyone knows that we live in the intestines of healthy bacteria. Many people try to compensate for a deficiency of beneficial microflora, supplements and eating foods with probiotics. So the appendix may have stores inside microbes on a rainy day.
The appendix is located so that intestinal contents moving past him. And evil harmful germs that might offend our microflora, also pass.
If you suddenly happen intestinal infection, it is very much beneficial microflora depart from the intestine with diarrhea. But not only the microbes in the appendix. They're hiding.
biofilms
In the appendix a lot of biofilms. Biofilm - a mode of existence of colonies of microorganisms, germs when surround themselves with thick mucous mass, which protects them from adverse environmental conditions.
Biofilms attached to the mucosa of the appendix and work much like our intestinal cells. That is, they are constantly sloughed off and picking up again.
Biofilms are constantly stimulate our immune system. This is useful.
Nowhere else in the body do not have such close contact with immunocompromised beneficial microbes. Well, that is constantly microbes live on the skin, in the mouth or other intimate places, but to like this, with powerful biofilms... this is no longer anywhere. Suspect that it is, it may be associated appendicitis, which occurs approximately every tenth person.
Appendicitis
Previously it was thought that appendicitis is blockage of the lumen of the appendix. Then it turned out, it often occurs in people in the developed countries than in poorer countries. Suggested that the case in the microbial environment.
In cities, people have little contact with the soil, plants and animals. Therefore, the immune system attacks the unfortunate bacteria in the appendix that "always at hand".
Inflammatory bowel disease
It Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. In inflammatory bowel disease immune system attacks our own intestines.
Scientists have conducted studies in mice and got some mixed results. It seems that if the inflammatory bowel disease has already started, then, removing the appendix, improvements can be made. Probably because it is just in the appendix and are trained brutalized immune cells.
bowel cancer
Statistics indicate that people with the removal of the appendix often happens bowel cancer. Probably, it's the same brutal immune cells that are trained in the appendix. Normally, these cells attack the tumor, and if the appendix is not, then no one will attack.
parkinsonism
In this area, too, we found something interesting. In appendix discovered substances that accumulate in the nervous system in parkinsonism. According to statistics, people with appendectomy later develop Parkinson's. This topic will be seriously studied in the near future.
Heart
In popular studies have found that if the appendix or tonsils removed up to 20 years, then a myocardial infarction occurs more frequently in the future. This is roughly consistent with the theory that the heart attack occurs against a background of inflammation. Suspect that without the appendix inflammatory response is wrong and it's bad for the heart.
That out of all this is necessary to make
Appendix - it is not a useless body. Without it, the harmful and even dangerous processes can take place in our body. Details scientists will find out for a long time. But worry about it not worth it, because most of the people without the appendix safely live on and nothing special do not get sick.
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