MINNEAPOLIS — Stephen Colbert is away from late-night TV following emergency surgery last week — the comedian's appendix burst. That made us wonder: What does the appendix do for our body? And why are ...

Doctors explain which organs humans can live without, how the body adapts after organ loss, and the long-term health effects ...

For years, the appendix was brushed off as a useless leftover from human evolution. Many of us grew up believing that it served no real purpose and was better off removed at the first sign of trouble.

Most people know only two things about the appendix: You don’t need it – and if it bursts, you need surgery fast. That basic story traces back at least to Charles Darwin, the English naturalist who ...

The human body is still a mystery, and some organs have largely been considered useless in one way or another. However, the ...