It was the first day of spring break in 1992 in Phoenix, 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 pants, ...

The appendix, notorious for its tendency to become inflamed or even rupture, has historically been viewed as a vestigial organ with no real function. But new research supports the idea that the ...

You may have heard that astronauts have their appendix removed before leaving Earth. After all, people say you can live without this organ because it serves no purpose, but how much truth is there in ...

The appendix may not be useless after all. The worm-shaped structure found near the junction of the small and large intestines evolved 32 times among mammals, according to a new study. The finding ...

Baltimore Orioles rookie Hayden Penn may go down in the record books as the first pitcher to miss his season debut because of appendicitis. Penn was to start in a game last week but was rushed to the ...

Bindi Irwin is on the road to recovery after a medical emergency forced her to miss this year's Steve Irwin Gala in Las Vegas. "After many months of a grumbly appendix, I finally had to seek help the ...

The human appendix, a narrow pouch that projects off the cecum in the digestive system, has a notorious reputation for its tendency to become inflamed (appendicitis), often resulting in surgical ...

The appendix is a small tube-like organ attached to the end of the large intestine, near where the small intestine meets it. Modern research suggests it plays a role in intestinal health and immune ...

Julie Pomerantz, wildlife veterinarian and program officer for the Wildlife Trust¿s North American Conservation Medicine Initiative, offers the following explanation: As a specific anatomic structure, ...

Share on Pinterest Gen Xers and older Millennials are 3 to 4 times more likely to develop appendix cancer compared to their parents, a new study suggests. Nicky Lloyd/Getty Images Appendix cancer ...

The body's appendix has long been thought of as nothing more than a worthless evolutionary artifact, good for nothing save a potentially lethal case of inflammation. Now researchers suggest the ...