Why the appendix is much more important than we once thought

By Ignacio López-Goñi, Catedrático de Microbiología. Miembro de la Sociedad Española de Microbiología (SEM), Universidad de Navarra

You may have heard that astronauts have their appendix removed before leaving Earth. After all, people say you can live without this organ because it serves no purpose, but how much truth is there in this belief?

Let’s start by locating it. The appendix is a small, finger-shaped pouch located where the small intestine joins the large intestine, in the cecum. Inflammation and infection of the appendix, known as appendicitis, can lead to rupture of the organ and subsequent widespread infection…

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