The vermiform appendix is also referred to as the vermix, the cecal appendix, or appendix. It is a tube that develops from embryos and the end of this tube connects to the cecum blindly. The cecum is defined as the structure of the colon that is much like a pouch. The location of the appendix is close to the connection of the large intestine and the small intestine. In Latin, the term "vermiform" means worm-shaped. Although the appendix ranges from a length of two centimeters to twenty centimeters, the average length is ten centimeters. The appendix usually has a diameter between seven and eight milliemeters. Historically, the largest appendix that has ever been removed from someone was twenty-six centimeters long and came out of a patient in Zagreb, Croatia. Most of the time, the vermiform appendix is located on the right side of the abdomen in the lower quadrant. In rare cases, however, it can be located on the lower left side of the abdomen and represents a condition called situs inversus.
Written and medically reviewed by the Healthline Editorial Team
In Depth: Vermiform appendix