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Appendix: anatomy, location and function

The vermiform appendix is a narrow blind-ended tube arising from the cecum. It has abundant lymphoid tissue and contributes to immune function, though it is not essential.

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Highlighted in the model: Appendix. Click any part to read about it, or switch off “Highlight topic” to see the whole body. 3D data: BodyParts3D, © The Database Center for Life Science, CC BY 4.0; meshes simplified and recoloured. The model is an adult male.

Appendix at a glance

What it is
The vermiform appendix is a narrow blind-ended tube arising from the cecum.
Location
It arises from the posteromedial wall of the cecum about 2 cm below the ileocecal junction, in the right iliac fossa; its tip is variable, most often retrocecal; McBurney point marks its surface projection.
Function
It has abundant lymphoid tissue and contributes to immune function, though it is not essential.
Body system
Digestive · single, midline structure
FMA ID
FMA14542 (Foundational Model of Anatomy)

Key facts

  • Usually 6 to 10 cm long, but varies widely.
  • Supplied by the appendicular artery, a branch of the ileocolic artery, running in the mesoappendix.
  • Convergence of the three taeniae coli marks its base.

Clinical relevance

Appendicitis is a common cause of acute abdomen, with pain moving from the umbilical region to the right lower quadrant.

Structures next to the appendix

The nearest named structures in the 3D model, measured from the centre of each part:

References

  1. Foundational Model of Anatomy: Appendix (FMA14542). EMBL-EBI Ontology Lookup Service.
  2. OpenStax. Anatomy and Physiology 2e, §23.1 Overview of the Digestive System. Rice University, 2022.
  3. Mitsuhashi N. et al. (2009). BodyParts3D: 3D structure database for anatomical concepts. Nucleic Acids Research 37, D782–D785. Data © The Database Center for Life Science, CC BY 4.0.

Explore the whole body in the interactive 3D human anatomy model, or browse the A–Z list of human structures.