The appendix has independently evolved at least 32 times across 361 mammalian species. What makes it an evolutionary darling ...

The human body is still a mystery, and some organs have largely been considered useless in one way or another. However, the ...

FARGO -- Every part of the human body has some purpose, but it's easier than ever to get by with a few missing pieces. Rhonda Ketterling, Sanford Health's chief medical officer for the northern region ...

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 ...

Many organs play important roles, but not all of them are required for survival. Some are removed because of injury, and others because of disease. In certain cases, doctors take them out to prevent ...

(THE CONVERSATION) 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 ...

(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.) Phil Starks, Tufts University and Lilia Goncharova, Tufts University (THE CONVERSATION ...