It was the first day of spring break in 1992 in Phoenix, Ariz. and 12-year-old Heather Smith was excited for her family's upcoming ski trip. But before Smith and her family had even packed their snow ...

Long denigrated as vestigial or useless, the appendix now appears to have a reason to be - as a "safe house" for the beneficial bacteria living in the human gut. The gut is populated with different ...

Researchers at Duke University Medical Center say that the function of the frequently discarded appendix, an organ often credited with little importance and often dismissed as having no significant ...

The appendix was long thought to be useless. It’s removed in cases of appendicitis — inflammation that's especially common in children. But new research shows it may play a crucial role in supporting ...

The belief that fruit seeds cause appendicitis is largely a myth. Studies show seeds rarely contribute to the condition. Appendicitis is usually due to blockages or infections. Research indicates ...