Science & Technology

Scientists discover new human internal organ

By T.K. Randall
January 3, 2017

Image: AI-generated (Midjourney) It's not every day that you find out that your body contains a mysterious undiscovered organ.

While the mesentery has been technically known about for years, it was previously believed to be a series of fragmented, separate structures rather than a single continuous organ.

The find was detailed in a new paper published in The Lancet Gastroenterology and Hepatology."In the paper, which has been peer reviewed and assessed, we are now saying we have an organ in the body which hasn't been acknowledged as such to date," said researcher J Calvin Coffey.

"The anatomic description that had been laid down over 100 years of anatomy was incorrect. This organ is far from fragmented and complex. It is simply one continuous structure."

While it still remains unclear exactly what the function of this new organ is, further study could offer scientists an improved understanding of how to treat abdominal and digestive disease.

"[It is] the basis for a whole new area of science," said Coffey.

Source: Science Alert

Tags: Mesentery, Human, Organ