時差N小時:有用的闌尾

Dear a moment of science: I used to think that theappendix is useless, but now I'm hearing that the appendix actually does serve a purpose. So,which is it?

親愛的科學(xué)時刻：以前我覺得闌尾是無用的，但最近我聽說闌尾實際上也有用途。那么，哪種說法是對的。

Yale: Great question. It's true that for a long time scientists thought that the appendix didn'treally serve a purpose. But a few years ago a study showed that the appendix in fact plays animportant role. It's a sort of hangout for useful bacteria needed to help us digest food. After abad case of diarrhea, when most of the bacteria in our guts is washed out, the appendix sendsa fresh batch in to take over.

雅艾爾：這個問題好。的確，很長時間以來，科學(xué)家們認為闌尾沒有什么用途。但幾年前的一項研究顯示闌尾其實扮演著重要的角色。消化道里有益細菌是闌尾的?？?。腹瀉嚴(yán)重時，我們體內(nèi)大多數(shù)細菌會被沖走，闌尾則為消化道輸送一批新的消化細菌。

Don: Right. And not only that, but a more recent study has found that the appendix has along and storied history. It's been around in animals including kangaroos, rodents and apes forat least eighty million years. In other words, it's fairly common in nature.

唐：對。不僅如此，一項近期的研究發(fā)現(xiàn)闌尾有一段漫長而頗負盛名的歷史。在袋鼠、啃齒動物以及猿等動物身上流傳了至少八千萬年。換句話說，在自然界中這是很普遍存在的。

Yale: Now, it's true that in developed countries with modern sanitation, the human appendixhas less to do than it once did. In those places, where diarrhea isn't a major problem, theappendix isn't called upon all the time to do its thing. That's why when people in the UnitedStates and other developed countries have their appendix removed, they don't seem to missit.

雅艾爾：現(xiàn)在，發(fā)達國家具有現(xiàn)代的衛(wèi)生設(shè)備，人類闌尾的作用就大不如從前了。在這些地區(qū)，腹瀉并不是嚴(yán)重的問題，闌尾并不總是能發(fā)揮作用。這就是為什么在美國和其它發(fā)達城市，人們會切除闌尾，且并不留念它。

Don: But in places where drinking water and sanitation aren't as safe, the appendix plays alarger role in keeping people healthy.

唐：但是在那些飲水和衛(wèi)生條件差的地方，闌尾在保護人類健康方面起著重要的作用。