Appendix vermiformis

The appendix (or vermiform appendix; also cecal [or caecal] appendix; vermix; or vermiform process) is a finger-like, blind-ended tube connected to the cecum, from which it develops in the embryo.

The cecum is a pouch-like structure of the large intestine, located at the junction of the small and the large intestines.

The term "vermiform" comes from Latin and means "worm-shaped." The appendix used to be considered a vestigial organ, but this view has changed over the past decades.

Research suggests that the appendix may serve an important purpose.

In particular, it may serve as a reservoir for beneficial gut bacteria.