Appendix

The vermiform appendix is a small finger-sized organ attached to the large intestine in the lower right quadrant of the abdomen. Thought for decades to be a vestigial organ, recent research has indicated that the appendix stores a pure culture of intestinal bacteria which can be released back into the intestines after an attack by foreign bacteria. However, in many people, the appendix can become inflamed. The time between inflammation and bursting is shorter for the appendix than any other organ, such as the gallbladder. As such, pain in the area is a medical emergency and indicates immediate surgery is necessary. Despite its newly discovered role in the body, humans can be perfectly healthy and live a normal life without an appendix.
In Here Kitty, a woman with a type of cancer that is only found in the digestive tract is nearly misdiagnosed when the pill camera she swallows misses a tumor in the appendix.
Vermiform appendix at Wikipedia
Category:Anatomy