You Asked ...WE ANSWERED! EXPERTS REVEAL THE SHOCKING TRUTH BEHIND THE MYSTERIES OF SCIENCE. What is the function of the appendix? Why must it sometimes be removed? Ashley Lo, Age 12 New York, NY The appendix ... what a useless pain! The small finger-like pouch protruding pro·trude v. pro·trud·ed, pro·trud·ing, pro·trudes v.tr. To push or thrust outward. v.intr. To jut out; project. See Synonyms at bulge. from the opening of the large intestine has absolutely NO known function. But when it acts up, watch out. When digested leftovers pass from the small to the large intestine, bits can fall into the little pouch. The organ then usually contracts and spews the waste back to the large intestine. But when the large intestine is jammed, food waste can block the appendix opening. Bacteria can then infect the organ and cause it to swell--a condition known as acute appendicitis Appendicitis Definition Appendicitis is an inflammation of the appendix, which is the worm-shaped pouch attached to the cecum, the beginning of the large intestine. The appendix has no known function in the body, but it can become diseased. . Symptoms include abdominal pain in the lower right side, vomiting, nausea, fever, and loss of appetite loss of appetite Medtalk Anorexia, see there . The only cure: Doctors have to go in and snip the pesky pouch off. If the appendix isn't removed in time, it can rupture and infect the entire abdomen. Not only does this make surgery more complicated, but you're stuck with a longer recovery period. If left untreated, acute appendicitis is deadly. If the appendix is so useless, what's it doing in the human body? Scientists think that in earlier humans, the appendix played an active role in the digestive process. Doing what? No one knows for sure. Hmm ... let's hope it was more useful then!!! Can you go blind sitting too close to IV? 6th and 7th graders HTH (chat) HTH - Hope This Helps. Often used sarcastically, see HAND. Middle School Malverne, NY "No way!" says Dr. Byron Demorest, a pediatric pediatric /pe·di·at·ric/ (pe?de-at´rik) pertaining to the health of children. pe·di·at·ric adj. Of or relating to pediatrics. ophthalmologist ophthalmologist /oph·thal·mol·o·gist/ (of?thal-mol´ah-jist) a physician who specializes in ophthalmology. oph·thal·mol·o·gist n. A physician who specializes in ophthalmology. (eye doctor specializing in young people). Sitting too close to TV will not damage your eyesight. But it can cut short your TV viewing time. Your eyes may get so tired, you'll have to send yourself to bed. "Think of running," Demorest explains. "If you run too much, your legs tire." Same with your eyes! Six muscles around each eye control eye movements, and a ciliary muscle located behind each iris (the colored eye membrane) controls eye focus. When you sit too close to the screen, eye muscles work extra hard to help you focus. The ideal distance from a TV set is five times the screen's width. (So if the screen is 10 inches wide, you should sit 50 inches away.) When your eye muscles are strained, you get eye fatigue. Symptoms include double vision, headache, blurring, and sharp or dull eye pain. Time to take a break! If you need to sit up-close to clearly see the screen, it may be a sign of myopia myopia: see nearsightedness. , or nearsightedness nearsightedness or myopia, defect of vision in which far objects appear blurred but near objects are seen clearly. Because the eyeball is too long or the refractive power of the eye's lens is too strong, the image is focused in front of the . Think glasses. |
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