A Glimpse Towards the Vestigiality and Fate of Human Vermiform Appendix-A Histomorphometric Study

Introduction: The vermiform appendix in human is considered to be a vestigial organ by most of the authors. Absence of appendix is already reported in Indian population. Whether the human appendix is performing any function is debatable but when present it can create trouble. So if there is no a...

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Main Authors: Aniruddha Sarkar, Anubha Saha, Sanchita Roy, Santanu Pathak, Shyamash Mandal
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: JCDR Research and Publications Private Limited 2015-02-01
Series:Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research
Subjects:
Online Access:https://jcdr.net/articles/PDF/5581/11178_CE[NJ]_F(P)_PF1(NAJK)_PFA(NC_AK)_PF2(PAG)_u.pdf
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author Aniruddha Sarkar
Anubha Saha
Sanchita Roy
Santanu Pathak
Shyamash Mandal
author_facet Aniruddha Sarkar
Anubha Saha
Sanchita Roy
Santanu Pathak
Shyamash Mandal
author_sort Aniruddha Sarkar
collection DOAJ
description Introduction: The vermiform appendix in human is considered to be a vestigial organ by most of the authors. Absence of appendix is already reported in Indian population. Whether the human appendix is performing any function is debatable but when present it can create trouble. So if there is no appendix we can escape the ill-effects of the organ. With this hope the study has been done to see whether the appendix is really going to be rudimentary or absent or not. Marerials and Methods: Length, external diameter, number of lymphoid follicles, maximum diameter of the follicle or submucous coat, thickening of the muscle coat and seromucosal thickening of freshly removed appendix from human cadavers were seen. After fixation in 10% formal saline tissues were stained with haematoxylin-eosin stain and photographs were taken. The results had been tabulated and statistically correlated. Result: The parameters like number of lymphoid follicles, length and diameter all are changed as per the age advancement which is strictly indicating some functional activities of the organ which is against the idea of vestigiality of the appendix. Conclusion: Human appendix cannot be called a vestigial organ unless the functional inactivity is proved. Lymphoid changes which occur after birth to provide the gut immunity is needed to be proved by further studies. There might be incidental absence or rudimentary appendix in human body, but that does not indicate that we would not have any appendix in future.
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spelling doaj.art-2b0072574849498d99b8ac2843f7dc632022-12-22T01:56:45ZengJCDR Research and Publications Private LimitedJournal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research2249-782X0973-709X2015-02-0192AC11AC1510.7860/JCDR/2015/11178.5581A Glimpse Towards the Vestigiality and Fate of Human Vermiform Appendix-A Histomorphometric StudyAniruddha Sarkar0Anubha Saha1Sanchita Roy2Santanu Pathak3Shyamash Mandal4Associate Professor, Department of Anatomy, Midnapore Medical College, Midnapore, West Bengal, India.Associate Professor, Department of Anatomy, Midnapore Medical College, Midnapore, West Bengal, India.Assistant Professor, Department of Anatomy, Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education & Research, Kolkata, West Bengal, India.Post- Graduate Student, Department of Pathology, Nilratan Sirkar Medical College & Hospital, Kolkata, West Bengal, India.Assistant Professor, Department of General Medicine, Bankura Sammillani Medical College (BSMC), Bankura, West Bengal, India.Introduction: The vermiform appendix in human is considered to be a vestigial organ by most of the authors. Absence of appendix is already reported in Indian population. Whether the human appendix is performing any function is debatable but when present it can create trouble. So if there is no appendix we can escape the ill-effects of the organ. With this hope the study has been done to see whether the appendix is really going to be rudimentary or absent or not. Marerials and Methods: Length, external diameter, number of lymphoid follicles, maximum diameter of the follicle or submucous coat, thickening of the muscle coat and seromucosal thickening of freshly removed appendix from human cadavers were seen. After fixation in 10% formal saline tissues were stained with haematoxylin-eosin stain and photographs were taken. The results had been tabulated and statistically correlated. Result: The parameters like number of lymphoid follicles, length and diameter all are changed as per the age advancement which is strictly indicating some functional activities of the organ which is against the idea of vestigiality of the appendix. Conclusion: Human appendix cannot be called a vestigial organ unless the functional inactivity is proved. Lymphoid changes which occur after birth to provide the gut immunity is needed to be proved by further studies. There might be incidental absence or rudimentary appendix in human body, but that does not indicate that we would not have any appendix in future.https://jcdr.net/articles/PDF/5581/11178_CE[NJ]_F(P)_PF1(NAJK)_PFA(NC_AK)_PF2(PAG)_u.pdfagenesisappendicitisvestigial organ
spellingShingle Aniruddha Sarkar
Anubha Saha
Sanchita Roy
Santanu Pathak
Shyamash Mandal
A Glimpse Towards the Vestigiality and Fate of Human Vermiform Appendix-A Histomorphometric Study
Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research
agenesis
appendicitis
vestigial organ
title A Glimpse Towards the Vestigiality and Fate of Human Vermiform Appendix-A Histomorphometric Study
title_full A Glimpse Towards the Vestigiality and Fate of Human Vermiform Appendix-A Histomorphometric Study
title_fullStr A Glimpse Towards the Vestigiality and Fate of Human Vermiform Appendix-A Histomorphometric Study
title_full_unstemmed A Glimpse Towards the Vestigiality and Fate of Human Vermiform Appendix-A Histomorphometric Study
title_short A Glimpse Towards the Vestigiality and Fate of Human Vermiform Appendix-A Histomorphometric Study
title_sort glimpse towards the vestigiality and fate of human vermiform appendix a histomorphometric study
topic agenesis
appendicitis
vestigial organ
url https://jcdr.net/articles/PDF/5581/11178_CE[NJ]_F(P)_PF1(NAJK)_PFA(NC_AK)_PF2(PAG)_u.pdf
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