title: A glimpse towards the vestigiality and fate of human vermiform appendix-a histomorphometric study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  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.
  
  
  RESULTS
  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.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  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.
authors: Associate Professor, Department of Anatomy, Midnapore Medical College, Midnapore , West Bengal, India .
authors: Aniruddha
authors: A
authors: Sarkar
authors: Assistant Professor, Department of Anatomy, Institute of Post-Graduate Medical Education & Research , Kolkata, West Bengal, India .
authors: Anubha
authors: A
authors: Saha
authors: Assistant Professor, Department of Anatomy, Institute of Post-Graduate Medical Education & Research , Kolkata, West Bengal, India .
authors: Sanchita
authors: S
authors: Roy
authors: Post- Graduate Student, Department of Pathology, Nilratan Sirkar Medical College & Hospital , Kolkata, West Bengal, India .
authors: Santanu
authors: S
authors: Pathak
authors: Post- Graduate Student, Department of Pathology, Nilratan Sirkar Medical College & Hospital , Kolkata, West Bengal, India .
authors: Shyamash
authors: S
authors: Mandal
keywords: Agenesis; Appendicitis; Vestigial organ