Department of Energy Argonne National Laboratory Office of Science NEWTON's Homepage NEWTON's Homepage
NEWTON, Ask A Scientist!
NEWTON Home Page NEWTON Teachers Visit Our Archives Ask A Question How To Ask A Question Question of the Week Our Expert Scientists Volunteer at NEWTON! Frequently Asked Questions Referencing NEWTON About NEWTON About Ask A Scientist Education At Argonne Past use of appendix 
Name: Jenni
Location: N/A
Country: N/A
Date: N/A
Question:
What is the proposed purpose for the past use of the appendix?


Replies:
Good question!!
Presumably the appendix is a useful organ for lower animals. Any zoologists out there know the answer?

--- jade

In other animals the appendix is huge and is called the caecum, or sac, because it is a dead-end structure. In rodents, is houses bacteria that have enzymes that help the animal digest plant material. In other mammals or primates, it is thought to serve a similar function in the digestion of raw meat.

-ProfBill


Click here to return to the Biology Archives

NEWTON is an electronic community for Science, Math, and Computer Science K-12 Educators, sponsored and operated by Argonne National Laboratory's Educational Programs, Andrew Skipor, Ph.D., Head of Educational Programs.

For assistance with NEWTON contact a System Operator (help@newton.dep.anl.gov), or at Argonne's Educational Programs

NEWTON AND ASK A SCIENTIST
Educational Programs
Building 360
9700 S. Cass Ave.
Argonne, Illinois
60439-4845, USA
Update: June 2012
Weclome To Newton

Argonne National Laboratory