Webbed digits, Six fingers and the appendix- Body Talk

Fun, Vivian! I'll give you what I know.

Appendix - the appendix is a remnant from the cecum, which is a pouch of the large intestine. The cecum is important in many herbivore animals - like guinea pigs, horses, rabbits. It aids in digestion because it is a storage site for undigestable high fiber (cellulose) foods that require bacteria and protozoan to assist in the digestion. Humans have a tiny cecum with little function, the remainder of the cecum has shrunken over the course of evolution into a little piece of tissue that mostly contains white blood cells. (kind of like a large sock which aided in digestion, shrank down into something the size of the pinkie that no long digests anything).

Function of the appendix. There are some arguments here, especially among the anit-evolutionists, who say the appendix is a viable organ of the immune system. Erm. Not really. The large intestine has collections of immune tissue called Peyers patch. The are typically spread out along the length of the large intestine. Well, the appendix which was once a functional part of the large intestine still has its Peyers patches, they are all just squashed down into one small location. So NO, the appendix has no real function. It's vestigial both in structure and function. (vestigial means parts not necessary that are evolutionary remnants - either structurally, functionally or both).

Sorry, long answer to a short question.

The gum thing: I'm not sure on that. Sounds very iffy. Things do block the opening to the appendix, then the appendix can become infected and need removal, but gum specifically? I don't know.

Six fingers. Having extra digits is called polydactylly. I know that it is a dominant trait and is genetic. I'm not sure about the developmental malfunction that causes the extra digit to form. Something having to do with a specific gene. I'm not even sure what the gene is. Polydactylly is an interesting disorder in that it exhibits an unpredictable penetrance. Even though the same gene is affected in all cases, some people end up with no extra digits, a single part of an extra digit, or one, sometimes two entire digits on both hands/feet. No way of predicting it. So they have a faulty gene, and it is inherited so they can pass it to their children. The exact genetic mechanism. I'm not sure.

It's time for lunch, but I LOVE this webbed toes question (because I know the answer - woo hoo). I'll be back soon to answer it.

Polydactyl sounds related to teradactyl? My friends were partial digits only, creepy to think of entire fingers, hmmm, albino polydactylly dwarf- yes DB might approve. Darn I already finished my entry, but you can use it if you want :)

She was a merperson, wasn't she? I knew it was unfair!

Will the appendix eventually just be eliminated completely?

Didn't King Henry XIII 's girlfriend
Anne Bolin insist on playing cards so the Queen (whom she was soon to replace) had to take off her gloves, thus exposing her sixth finger?

Never heard that one James, but intriguing. Very interesting...

There is no way to predict if the appendix will completely vanish. You would have to have variations of persons without appendices who pass it on to their children, and that particular trait spread. Possible, but no way to know.

Okay, what about the webbed fingers and toes?

That is interesting, James.

Now for the webbed toes. Everyone starts out with webbed fingers and toes during embryonic development. At about 16 weeks, apoptosis (programmed-cell death) causes the cells holding the fingers/toes together to die. The fingers/toes separate into individual digits. In some people, there is an error in development where the apoptosis does not occur and so the digits never separate. They are not sure why this occurs. It is believed to be an environmental influence. It is more common in infants of smokers, for example. So that particular defect is an error in the proper sequence of developmental programming.

The attached vs. unattached earlobes sort of works the same, except it is genetic. Some people have the gene for an enzyme that desolves the skin holding the earlobe to the side of the head. Some people lack that enzyme. (It's not apoptosis in that case, though. Still, disappearing skin between body parts. We see a parallel. Right?)

Did you ever examine your genetic traits in a biology class? If not, that earlobe reference probably makes no sense to you.

btw, having webbed toes is called syndactylly. So you could have a polydactyl, syndactyl albino dwarf. Okay, that's just worng.

IT is wrong, that's why it's so right!

Yes, I get the ear reference. Is the tongue rolling related? I can roll and flip, but many can't.

I mean the enzyme presence or lack on the tongue question- just clarifying.

I just noticed I spelled wrong, wrong. Sad.

Tongue rolling is genetic, it is determined by the way certain muscles insert into you tongue. Some people have extra muscles, others just have them connected in a different location within the tongue itself. I can fold, but can't roll or do that crazy 4-leaf clover thing.

your tongue, not you tongue.

Jeez. I need to type more slooooooooowly

Jaime, that was interesting. Thanks

I heard on NPR a week ago they had just discovered a function the appendix was performing — think it related to fat storage and probably an incidental function not it's purpose to be. Now they tell me! (Actually my appendix led the doctors on quite a chase ... interesting story for me and 2 other people, but if you have an hour I'll ...)

[Manwhile back at Ranch NaNoWriMo, while she was showing how much she knows, I snuck ahead in NaNo stats and took a screen shot to prove it -heh,heh]

Both I and Number 2 son have had appendectomies. Mine exploded; his was on the verge. The lad's doctor told me the tale about it being part of the immune system, so maybe he was one of those "creation scientists."

Too bad I did my DB entry. A "polydactyl, syndactyl albino dwarf" would have been impressive.

Dave, I know...what a loss of great material. I see him swimming across a moat, his skin shimmering in the feeble moonlight.

John be nice, Jamie is providing an invaluable service to the community here.

It exploded?! Man, that is a dangerous situation. How long were you hospitalized, Dave? Or did they get you all cleaned out? Sepsis, hemorrhaging - scary stuff.

John, you turd. Now I have to give up dinner and my potty breaks. And here I am stuck at work. I need to get busy and write. I cry foul!

Do they really explode, I thought it was a small rupture. Isn't sepsis nearly a death sentence? Yikes Dave.

Take potty breaks Jamie, we don't want exploding kidneys :)

FIRST OF ALL, I'm just a gentleman writer plying his craft.

Second, I agree Jaime's providing a valuable service if we disregard the calling me a turd part, which is neither ladylike nor professorial, though it is anatomically related [or was at one point in time] so I will admit it is on topic if not on target.

Third, SHE was bragging about being ahead yesterday.

Anyway, my head is held up high, my dignity is intact and my shovel is sheathed.

With that, I am withdrawing from any NaNo related competition so I can concentrate on turning this t--- of a story into a treasure.

Back to the topic, my appendix was going gangrene when they decided to cut me open even though the barium milkshake showed a perfectly normal situation ... lucky I had a good surgeon who said he didn't care what the white count was, something was wrong.

There was a rumor racing around here that appendicitis was linked to having tonsils. No tonsils, no infected appendix.. don't seem right to me.

I was tongue tied when I was born, same as the fingers?

I had the same situation John.. surgeon listened when I told him I had a normally low white count.. no drama, mine was days from bursting.

Okay rotting intestines is NOT cool- gangrene, ick! BTW, John you poked and prodded Jamie here, while she was working hard at educating us poor slobs as to why we went to school with Aquagirl.

I have mine and now you all are worrying me.

It was the - heh, heh - that incited the name calling. No one laughs at my failures. Not even those who lack their appendix. I call your 1050 words and raise you 3100.

I'm not playing anymore [hands over ears, tongue out, mouthing childhood lalalalalala mantra]

Seriously, I knew it was a momentary anacronism - a spacetime gap between PST and MST.

On with Vivian's interesting Body Talk topics and I apologize for the momentary commentary hijecking.

I liked the hijacking. Needed the laugh.

My appendix is gone too. I went from not feeling good two days in a row--and I never have a stomach ache--to running a fever and shaking so hard that I only wanted so hide in a hot bath. Trip to the emergency room--here sign this--and out it came. Worse part? They kept me overnight at the hospital but I couldn't sleep. Couldn't sleep for 4 days. Mind started getting weird. Not fun.

Just remember, all you nanosnobbywombats, no one has a *lower* count than moi, except for dead people and those who never bothered to start their novels. And yet I will trudge across the finish line sometime on the afternoon of the 30th, just like the tortoise in the Bugs Bunny cartoon....

Oh wait, I think he's the one who used a rocket-propelled turtle shell to cheat. I won't do that.

Anyone else here remarkably double-jointed?

I am double jointed in the shoulders. How about yourself, JK?

Just huperextended joints- elbows and really loose joints in my fingers. The thumb can do this thump, thump thing.

So THIS is where you ran off to! You're having more fun here than on the wombat thread! Vivian, you ask delightfully wierd questions, and Jamie, how your students could fail to learn from such a good, and funny, teacher, is beyond me! And John, I saw those stats. My first thought was "OMG, Jamie's gonna cream him, if she has to pee in a pan beside her chair all night to do it!" Maybe that's the ticket Jamie. Men just need an empty beer can or something, and they can keep writing without any interruption.

Pat: gatorade bottles.

I'm not double-jointed, but Junior is. (Noted on his medical chart during his school physical.) I can pop 2 of my fingers but that's all. I used to be able to turn my elbows around, but I think I've outgrown that. That's one of Junior's best stunts.

J.K., I don't know about Jaime, but I can guarantee you there's nothing to be nanosnobby about in the story I'm turning out.

lol

I have a dog... well we're pretty sure it's a dog. It has two toes on one paw, three on the next, and as you may have guessed four and five respectively on the others.

How peculiar Ron, oh, Professor?

Oh, no. I stopped in and learned something. Drat. Not.

hahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!

Lost my appendix long ago and always vaguely wondered if I cared. Having extra fingers sounds much more interesting.

What do tonsils do? (I still have them, but lots of my friends had theirs out.)

JAMIE!!!!

Questions on tonsils and dogs with different number of toelets on each paw. Help!

Sheila, I think they're germ collectors and some people have ones that take the raw material and create an even more heinous germ and then have to have them taken out with hedge clipper.

I could be wrong. No, maybe not.

Dog toe numbers. I have no clue! Sounds like a mutant dog. Are you sure he's from earth?

Tonsils are specialized/large lymph nodes. They are in the throat because they get exposed to lots of icky bacteria when you breath them in or swallow them. SO they help with immune function, but if yours are prone to get infected a lot, then they take them out. They can swell large enough to cut off your air supply. That would be a bad thing. Adenoids are another pair tonsils behind your nasal cavity (where your nose and throat meet. You have 3 pairs of tonsils actually. They usually only take out the pharyngeal ones, and sometimes cauterize the adenoids.

Ron are pictures available of the said dog's vary toe issue, truly intriguing. Not as good as the seven legged lamb, but hey, we can't all be winners.

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