Appendix in Herbivores

[Navin]

What really is the purpose of the appendix?

Am i close if i say it is to digest cellulose?

[Poison]

As much as I know, yes.

[MrMistery]

You are "right on target" > the ceccum and the appendix have this function....

[Navin]

thanks.

[clarence]

The human appendix?

The human appendix, at the junction of the small and large intestines, is a much reduced cecum. Its small size reflects its negligible role on cellulose fermentation. It no longer harbors large-scale microbial fermentation like in herbivores.

It is wrong to assume that since the vermiform appendix performs no role in digestion it does not have a function. The walls of the appendix are rich in lymphoid tissue. In other words, the vermiform appendix of humans is a part of the immune system.

(from Vertebrates: Comparative Anatomy, Function, Evolution by Kardong)

Hope this helps.

Clarence

[MrMistery]

The question was about the appendix in herbivores, not in humans.
Good point about it being part of the immune system though..
Andrew