• Question: Do you think that people will evolve and lose their appendix?

    Asked by Zuzanna to Julio, Jaine, Dave, Annette on 16 Nov 2016.
    • Photo: Jaine Blayney

      Jaine Blayney answered on 16 Nov 2016:

      Interesting. It could be possible, unless we do discover that there is actually a reason for it that we don’t know about yet.

    • Photo: Annette Neill

      Annette Neill answered on 16 Nov 2016:

      Well apparently Duke University in North Carolina say the appendix has a function-it harbors “good bacteria” and if you suffer a bout of cholera or dysentery, your appendix helps your gut repopulate the lost bacteria. Nevertheless, I don’t imagine we will lose it through evolution because for this to happen, wouldn’t you have to have huge numbers having appendectomies-there’s a study for you -how many people who have both had their appendixes removed have had children who also need appendectomy?

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