Appendix Function - What Does It Do & Do You Need It?

 Appendix everybody knows at least really familiar with the appendix if they're a function and purpose to the opinion so that's the question we're going to answer today real quick let's remind ourselves anatomically of where the appendix is located at this area and I'm sure not going to try to draw the whole thing out but the appendix is on an area of the large intestine okay this means the large intestine it would be in the region of the large intestine or at least attached to the regional intestine that we call the ascending portion okay but specifically, it'd be on the very start very beginning of the large intestine in an area referred to as the cecum okay so right before the cecum just so we know we're on the same page we would obviously, be in the small intestine and there's actually a little valve here that separates you know small intestine just write it out here separates the small intestine from the large and this little valve is referred to as the ileocecal valve okay so the the appendix is located right here just kind of drawing it out here on the cecum so it is technically on the large intestine not the small but it's really at this juncture okay between the small and the

 large intestine again on the cecum so 

this would be our  

appendix okay the question is does it do anything I can tell you I've taught a lot of me anatomy a lot of years and there are old older books that should probably tell you something about the answer here there are older books that used to say that appendix was steel structure or the appendix was basically had no function the statute refers to some remnant of basically the past some an evolutionary remnant that basically doesn't have a function anymore it is not accurate to call the appendix vestigial okay 

the appendix also you know again in 

older anatomy books they say again no 

function but yes the appendix does have a function it is there for a reason again it's not accurate to call this digital because it has a purpose it has a function, okay it had a function from the beginning so the question is what does the appendix do okay it is part of 

an organ system in your body called\ 

the lymphatic system okay it's actually 

part of that organ system what is inside 

the appendix actually has lymphocytes 

inside okay a lymphocyte is a type of WBC is the type of white blood cell okay it 

houses lymphocytes and because left us 

up to what blood cells many of you might 

know that it has an immune function so 

the appendix is actually part of your immune system it is located in a key area because you notice it isn't a key area in that the juncture between the small and large intestine is there to fight infection, okay they say well that's kind of weird I don't believe it whatever I mean a lot of people may have a hard time believing this I promise it is in the textbooks now this way our current textbook teaches it this way and it is true but just to kind of show you or show you some more proof we have other lymphatic system structures just like it and other fronts our body best example is the 

tonsils the tonsils are part of 

the lymphatic system they're filled with lymphocytes, okay and they too are part of the immune system and of course the stalks as many of you guys know we're in the pharynx we've got three sets of tonsils frenzy Oh tonsils we've got the 

palatine and we've got the lingual 

tonsils okay they're all in what we call the pharynx the throat area okay they are again in that key area why to fight infection okay so that's the purpose of the appendix is there to fight infection now just like the tonsil we know this the tonsils can sometimes get 

infected okay their job is to fight 

infection but they can become infected 

and they can become chronically infected 

to the point where they really don't get better and what do we have to take the tonsil out the okay same thing with the appendix that Penix is there to fight infection it too can become infected in Sioux severely inflamed and it too might need to be removed if it basically becomes dysfunctional so yes you can live out your tonsils a little bit out your appendix but you are dealing with a lymphatic organ or at least a lymphatic tissue 

okay so just a little bit of information 

to understand the anatomy better as 

always good luck in good study.