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Guardian

Guardian

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Health

Have we got the appendix all wrong? – podcast

Guardian
Summary
Nutrition label

74% Informative

For a long time the appendix was considered disposable. After all, millions of people have theirs removed each year and go on to live healthy lives. But as Heather F Smith , a professor of anatomy at Midwestern University tells Ian Sample , researchers are increasingly understanding what this small worm-shaped organ may be bringing to the table in terms of our health. Smith explains how the appendix is linked to both our immune system development and gut health, and why she thinks an increasing interest in the microbiome may bring it to greater prominence.

VR Score

79

Informative language

81

Neutral language

75

Article tone

semi-formal

Language

English

Language complexity

54

Offensive language

not offensive

Hate speech

not hateful

Attention-grabbing headline

not detected

Known propaganda techniques

not detected

Time-value

long-living

External references

no external sources

Source diversity

no sources

Affiliate links

no affiliate links