Most people know only two things about the appendix: You don’t need it – and if it bursts, you need surgery fast. That basic story traces back at least to Charles Darwin, the English naturalist who ...

One common surgery many individuals need to get at some point in their lives is an appendectomy. This is a surgical procedure to remove the appendix, which is a small pouch-like organ on the right ...

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 ...

You may have heard that astronauts have their appendix removed before leaving Earth. After all, people say you can live without this organ because it serves no purpose, but how much truth is there in ...

Acute appendicitis is the sudden and severe inflammation of the appendix. It can cause pain in the abdomen, and this pain may occur quickly and worsen within hours. The appendix is a narrow tube that ...