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  • J Calvin Coffey, D. Peter O’Leary, Henry Vandyke Carter

    Scientists confirm a 'new' human organ

    by 
    Jon Fingas
    Jon Fingas
    01.03.2017

    For centuries, the mesentery (which links the intestine to the abdomen) has been treated as a group of distinct structures in your digestive system. It wasn't anything special. However, the medical world now has to rethink that belief. Scientists recently determined that the mesentery is really one, cohesive entity -- that's right, they confirmed the existence of a 'new' organ. Researchers first discovered the continuous nature of the mesentery through microscopic examinations in 2012, but the past few years have shown that it has enough function to be considered an organ.