Is there a more maligned human anatomic structure than the vermiform appendix? Since Charles Darwin, schoolchildren have learned to disparage it as a useless vestige of evolution with a tendency to ...

Generic name from akaina (Greek, meaning spine or thorn) and plax (Greek, meaning plate), gender feminine; specific name after Juliet Hay. The body is vermiform, bearing seven isolated dorsal valves.

The appendix or vermiform appendix is a muscular structure attached to the large intestine in the human body. It is a narrow tube resembling a worm and is named after the Latin word "vermiform" which ...

TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. About the Archive This is a digitized version of an article from The Times’s print archive, before the start of online ...

If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in ...