It was the first day of spring break in 1992 in Phoenix, Ariz. and 12-year-old Heather Smith was excited for her family's upcoming ski trip But before Smith and her family had even packed their snow ...

The appendix is a very small finger-like tissue attached to the beginning of the large intestine, in the lower right side of the abdomen. It is popularly known as a vestigial organ, as in one which ...

A sudden appendectomy as a child made Heather Smith curious about what the appendix is for and why it gets inflamed. Now as an anatomy researcher,... Your appendix is not, in fact, useless. This ...

This story is free to read because readers choose to support LAist. If you find value in independent local reporting, make a donation to power our newsroom today. It was the first day of spring break ...