For more than a century, the human appendix has been written off as a biological relic, a shrunken leftover from plant-eating ancestors that serves no real purpose. That view is now outdated. A ...

For years, the appendix was brushed off as a useless leftover from human evolution. Many of us grew up believing that it served no real purpose and was better off removed at the first sign of trouble.

Generally treated as a medical emergency, appendicitis can leave a person doubled over in agony. The most common symptom is abdominal pain, explains Dr. Martin Zielinski, a surgeon trained in critical ...