There’s actually a reason why humans have appendixes, says one doctor

"The appendix has a purpose, an incredibly important purpose and we've really only discovered that in the last couple of years."

We all learned at school that the appendix is a fairly useless organ that's been left over in the human body from evolution, right? Well, its could be that the organ actually plays an important role in your digestive system. You might recognise psychiatrist, author and broadcaster Dr Michael Mosley from his various BBC documentaries. [caption id="attachment_357735" align="aligncenter" width="630"] Photo via BBC.[/caption] He's the man who popularised the 5:2 diet, favoured by celebs including J Lo and Miranda Kerr, and he's now revealed what the appendix actually does.

"The appendix has a purpose, an incredibly important purpose and we've really only discovered that in the last couple of years," he told Business Insider.

He explained that there is constant warfare in the gut between good and bad bacteria and that the appendix comes into play when the bacteria is wiped out from something like food poisoning or a course of antibiotics. When all bacteria is low, bad bacteria can thrive and lead to a condition known as C Diff, the overgrowth of this bacteria in your gut. In this instance, the appendix, he says, acts as a "reservoir of good bacteria."

"It's a bit like Noah's Ark," he said. "You kind of had the flood - maybe you've had food poisoning, huge amounts of fluid, everything washes out or maybe you've had a big dose of antibiotics. Everything has been annihilated and if you just left that space empty then the bad guys could take over but if you still have an appendix then the appendix will release the good guys and they will do battle and hopefully keep you healthy.