Science Discovers a Human Organ We Never Knew Existed

Turns out we’ve been walking around with an organ we never knew existed. So, congratulations to us.

Scientists recently discovered that the mesentery, which was previously believed to be a group of fragmented structures, is actually one continuous organ in the digestive system. Researchers initially realized it was a continuous structure back in 2012, when they began detailed microscopic examinations; however, it wasn’t until recently that scientists concluded it had enough function to be classified as an organ. It’s a pretty mind-blowing and exciting finding.

Though the function of the mesentery, which connects the intestine to the abdomen, is still unknown, researchers are now on a mission to find out.

“This is relevant universally as it affects all of us. Up to now there was no such field as mesenteric science. Now we have established anatomy and the structure,” J Calvin Coffey, a researcher from the University Hospital Limerick in Ireland, said in a press release. “The next step is the function. If you understand the function you can identify abnormal function, and then you have disease. Put them all together and you have the field of mesenteric science…the basis for a whole new area of science.”

According to Science Alert, the world-famous series of medical textbooks Gray’s Anatomy has reportedly been updated with the mesentery’s new classification.