by 
pudzey101
ANSWERS: 2
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Like tonsils at the other end of the alimentary canal, the appendix functions especially during the early part of life to fight infections coming from the outside. As we get older, we have less and less need for either, and sometimes each gets badly infected--but it's safe to say that each preserves many more lives than they take.
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Actually the vermiform appendix (the appendix associated with appendicitis) has functions that are widely contested. Often thought to be vestigial (meaning it no longer has a function), and originally thought to contain bacteria that help to digest cellulose from plants, it is believed by some to expose parts of the immune system to foreign substances that pass through the newly used digestive system in the newborn, allowing distinction between body cells and potentially damaging micro-organisms. In most people this has already taken place and often the appendix can become inflamed, leading to appendicitis. However, if the appendix is healthy, it can sometimes be used to replace the sphnicter (muscular valve) that regulates bladder emptying when the original has been removed (such as in bladder cancer patients). However if you have appendicitis and have to have it removed, you won't notice the slightest difference (except for feeling a cpouple of grams lighter at first :-).
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