Confirmed: We Have A New Organ

Scientists have identified a new organ inside our bodies, waiting to be found this whole time. The organ, named mesentery, was thought to be made up of segmented, separate anatomical structures. But the research has revealed that it is actually one continuous organ, rendering the anatomy knowledge of over 100 years incorrect.

Although we now know about the structure of this new organ, there is not sufficient data about its function yet. Further research on it may assist in better understanding and treatment of some abdominal and digestive diseases.

Mesentery is a double fold of peritoneum, the membrane which attaches our intestines to the abdomen wall and keeps everything in the abdominal cavity in place. It was thought to be an insignificant structure for years, until Irish researcher Calvin Coffey and his colleagues showed its continuous structure. Since then, they have gathered further proof about the need to reclassify it as a separate organ and finally announced their findings in their paper published in the November 2016 issue of The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology.