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Scientists have learned a lot about how the human body works, but our biology remains a mystery in many ways. Researchers have discovered what they’re calling a “new organ” within the human digestive system ― a reminder of just how much uncharted territory remains to be discovered within us.

The discovery of the body’s 79th organ prompted an update to the famous Gray’s Anatomy textbook, which is used by medical students around the world.

People have known about the newly classified organ, known as the “mesentery,” for hundreds of years ― Leonardo DaVinci even included it in an anatomical illustration. However, it was thought to be a fragmented structure consisting of separate parts until Dr. J. Calvin Coffey, a professor of surgery at the University of Limerick in Ireland, found evidence that it was one continuous organ.

Based on his findings, outlined in a paper published in November in The Lancet Gstroenterology & Hepatology, Coffey argues that “mesenteric science” should be its own specialized field of medical study.

The mesentery connects the intestines to the abdominal wall. More specifically, the organ is a double fold of connective tissue arising from the peritoneum ― the membrane lining the abdominal cavity ― that attaches the stomach, small intestine, pancreas, spleen and other organs to the posterior abdominal wall.

“During the initial research, we noticed in particular that the mesentery, which connects the gut to the body, was one continuous organ,” Coffey said in a press release. “Up to that it was regarded as fragmented, present here, absent elsewhere and a very complex structure. The anatomic description that had been laid down over 100 years of anatomy was incorrect.”

“The anatomic description that had been laid down over 100 years of anatomy was incorrect.” - Dr. J. Calvin Coffey

“This organ is far from fragmented and complex,” he added. “It is simply one continuous structure.”

The mesentery’s exact function is still unknown. Determining this is the next step for scientists, now that the organ’s anatomy and structure have been determined.

However, they do know that the organ keeps the intestines in a particular formation.

“When the mesentery does not attach to the abdominal wall in the manner in which it usually does, then it can twist on its blood supply,” Coffey told The Huffington Post in an email. “This causes the blood supply to stop, and the intestine undergoes necrosis or dies. This is incompatible with life.”

And if researchers can figure out what abnormal function of the mesentery looks like, they’ll have a better shot at understanding how it contributes to disease.

“We need to reinterpret many diseases with a new anatomic model in mind,” Coffey said. “When you understand the normal appearing mesentery then you are better positioned to identify abnormalities and the abnormalities that we see in disease.”

It’s fairly certain that the mesentery is involved in at least some abdominal diseases, according to Coffey, so a better understanding of the organ and its functions could one day lead to less invasive surgeries, fewer surgical complications and faster patient recovery.</s>Researchers have classified a brand-new organ inside our bodies, one that's been hiding in plain sight in our digestive system this whole time.

Although we now know about the structure of this new organ, its function is still poorly understood, and studying it could be the key to better understanding and treatment of abdominal and digestive disease.

Known as the mesentery, the new organ is found in our digestive systems, and was long thought to be made up of fragmented, separate structures. But recent research has shown that it's actually one, continuous organ.

The evidence for the organ's reclassification is now published in The Lancet Gastroenterology & 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 J Calvin Coffey, a researcher from the University Hospital Limerick in Ireland, who first discovered that the mesentery was an organ.

"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."

Thanks to the new research, as of last year, medical students started being taught that the mesentery is a distinct organ.

The world's best-known series of medical textbooks, Gray's Anatomy, has even been updated to include the new definition.

So what is the mesentery? It's a double fold of peritoneum - the lining of the abdominal cavity - that attaches our intestine to the wall of our abdomen, and keeps everything locked in place.

One of the earliest descriptions of the mesentery was made by Leonardo da Vinci, and for centuries it was generally ignored as a type of insignificant attachment. Over the past century, doctors who studied the mesentery assumed it was a fragmented structure made of separate sections, which made it pretty unimportant.

But in 2012, Coffey and his colleagues showed through detailed microscopic examinations that the mesentery is actually a continuous structure.

Over the past four years, they've gathered further evidence that the mesentery should actually be classified as its own distinct organ, and the latest paper makes it official.

You can see the new organ illustrated below:

And while that doesn't change the structure that's been inside our bodies all along, with the reclassification comes a whole new field of medical science that could improve our health outcomes.

"When we approach it like every other organ… we can categorise abdominal disease in terms of this organ," said Coffey.

That means that medical students and researchers will now investigate what role - if any - the mesentery might play on abdominal diseases, and that understanding will hopefully lead to better outcomes for patients.

"Now we have established anatomy and the structure. 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," said Coffey.

"This is relevant universally as it affects all of us."

It just goes to show that no matter how advanced science becomes, there's always more to learn and discover, even within our own bodies.

The research has been published in The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology.</s>Named as the mesentery, the organ connects the intestine to the abdomen.</s>London: Irish scientists have recently identified a new human organ that has existed in the digestive system for hundreds of years.

Named as the mesentery, the organ connects the intestine to the abdomen and had for hundreds of years been considered a fragmented structure made up of multiple separate parts.

However, researchers led by J Calvin Coffey, Professor at University of Limerick (Ireland), describe the mesentery as an undivided structure and outlined the evidence for categorising the mesentery as an organ in the paper published in the journal The Lancet Gastroenterology and Hepatology.

Mesentery is a fold of the peritoneum which attaches the stomach, small intestine, pancreas, spleen, and other organs to the posterior wall of the abdomen.

During the initial research, the researchers found that the mesentery, which connects the gut to the body, was one continuous organ.

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"Up till then it was regarded as fragmented, present here, absent elsewhere and a very complex structure. 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," Coffey explained.

Better understanding and further scientific study of the mesentery could lead to less invasive surgeries, fewer complications, faster patient recovery and lower overall costs.

"When we approach it like every other organ...we can categorise abdominal disease in terms of this organ," Coffey said.

According to Coffey, mesenteric science is a separate field of medical study in the same way as gastroenterology and others.

"Up to now there was no such field as mesenteric science. Now we have established anatomy and the structure," Coffey noted.</s>It's generally agreed that 2016 will go down in history as a titanic bummer of a year. But on the bright side, we each got a new internal organ. That's something, right? It's all about classification, really. It seems that the grouping of tissues known as the mesentery was recently upgraded to organ status, by those who get paid to classify such things.

The Organ Formerly Known as a Tissue is a fold in the inner lining of your torso that suspends and attaches intestinal organs to the abdominal cavity. So how does a grouping of cells get promoted from tissue to organ? It's pretty interesting, actually. In today's DNews report, Trace Dominguez breaks down medical classification systems and profiles our proud new organ, the mesentery.</s>Irish scientists have recently identified a new human organ the "mesentery" that has existed in the digestive system for hundreds of years.

Although its function is still unclear, the discovery opens up "a whole new area of science," according to J Calvin Coffey, a researcher at the University Hospital Limerick who first discovered it in 2012.

Mesentery is a fold of the peritoneum which attaches the stomach, small intestine, pancreas, spleen, and other organs to the posterior wall of the abdomen.

"Up till then it was regarded as fragmented, present here, absent elsewhere and a very complex structure. 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," Coffey explained.

"When we approach it like every other organ...we can categorise abdominal disease in terms of this organ," Coffey said.

 Although there are generally considered to be five vital organs in the human body, there are in fact now 79, including the mesentery.</s>Scientists have discovered a brand new organ in the human body.

The organ, hiding in plain sight, has been discovered in a breakthrough which could transform the treatment of digestive diseases.

Known as the mesentery, it was previously thought to be just a few fragmented structures in the digestive system.

But scientists have realised it is in fact one, continuous organ.

The Mesentery attaches the stomach, small intestine, pancreas, spleen, and other organs to the abdomen.

It is hoped the discovery will help doctors provide better treatment of abdominal and digestive disease.

Academics from University Hospital Limerick in Ireland used complex microscopy to conduct their research.

Professor J Calvin Coffey, who first discovered the organ, said: "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.

"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."

The research has been published in The Lancet medical journal.

Gray’s Anatomy, the world’s most famous medical textbook, has been updated to include the new definition.

Prof Coffey added: "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.

"The next step is the function."</s>Scientists discovered a new organ known as mesentery inside the human body. It has been hiding in plain sight in the human's digestive system.

J Calvin Coffey, a researcher from the University Hospital Limerick, who first identified the organ, said that although its function is still unclear, the discovery opens "a whole new area of science." He further said that when they approach it like every other organ, they can categorize abdominal disease in terms of this organ.

Coffey added that they have established anatomy and the structure and the next step is the function. "If you understand the function you can identify abnormal function, and then you have a disease." He also said that if one puts them all together he has the field of mesenteric science.

The findings of the discovery were printed in The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology. The researchers thought in their past research that the new organ was made up of fragmented and separate structures. On the other hand, in their recent research, it indicates that it is a continuous organ, according to Science Alert.

Coffey said that the anatomic description that had been laid down over 100 years of anatomy was incorrect. He further said that this organ is far from fragmented and complex and is simply one continuous structure.

Independent reports that Gray's Anatomy, the world's most famous medical textbook, has been updated that includes the new organ. It is also now being taught to medical students that the mesentery is a distinct organ. They can now examine the role of mesentery in the abdominal disease that could lead to new treatments. It is defined that mesentery is a double fold of peritoneum -- the lining of the abdominal cavity that holds the human intestine to the wall of the abdomen.</s>Scientists have discovered a new organ in the digestive tract of the human body. Centuries after the human physiology was established, the discovery of new organ in humans has sent the researchers and scientists in a frenzy.

The new organ mesentery was previously believed to be a fragmented and disparate structure in the digestive system. Mesentery was considered just a fold of membrane that connected the intestine and the abdomen.

Irish researchers have now confirmed that Mesentery is a continuous organ. J Calvin Coffey, a researcher from the University Hospital Limerick, said the following in a release.

Scientifically, a human organ is a self-contained body part that performs vital functions. With the addition of the new found organ, mesentery, there are now 79 human organs including the five vital organs, the brain, heart, liver, kidneys, and lungs.

Which Is The New Organ?

This discovery of the new organ in humans proves that 100 years of anatomy was incorrect and mesentery is a continuous structure. Physiologically, mesentery is a double fold of peritoneum which keeps our intestines attached to the abdomen wall. The peritoneum is the lining of the abdominal cavity.

Mesentery was first described as an organ by the Italian Renaissance artist Leonardo Da Vinci and was known as “The Da Vinci Mesentery.” It was continuous and appeared to be converged centrally. At that time medical practitioners believed that it was a discontinuous structure and hence medically less significant. With the new confirmation by researchers, the mesentery will now be investigated as an organ.

Coffey and his colleagues first used microscopic analyses to prove that the membrane was a continuous structure. They continued gathering evidence that could prove mesentery as a new organ and finally published their research and evidence in a research paper in The Lancet medical journal.

Can The New Organ Help Cure Diseases?

By establishing that mesentery is an organ in the human body, a co-relation between mesenteric abnormalities and diseases can be studied. The mesentery is known to maintain the homeostasis, but it could also be a route for the spread of diseases.

A range of human diseases can be prevented if a more focused approach is taken towards finding the role of mesentery in causing diseases. There are several mesentery related disease that may benefit from this discovery. Malrotation of mesentery is a most common cause of death due to an abdominal crisis in the first year of life.

Mesenteric gaps can lead to intestinal herniation. It is mostly seen in postoperative patients and increases the risk of intestinal herniation. Another major disease occurring in humans due to mesentery is vascular mesenteropathy. It results in thrombosis of the superior mesenteric vein and occlusion of the superior mesenteric artery. Both these conditions can be fatal as it leads to rapid necrosis (death of cells) of the small intestine.

Since the new human organ has been found, a more detailed study of the mesentery will follow. This will enable the researchers to study mesentery from a whole new perspective. As reported in The Independent, Coffey said the following.

The researcher will now study the function of this new organ in humans, which in turn will help in understanding the disease caused by it. It is worth noting that Grey’s Anatomy, one of the world’s best known medical textbook, has updated the entry for mesentery as an ‘Organ.’ Following its reclassification, medical students will be taught that mesentery is an organ.

For patients, the discovery will bring a lot of relief. With the advent of studies in the field of mesenteric science, there would be fewer post-operative complications, lesser invasive surgeries, faster recoveries and all with lower costs.

It is still not clear in which body system will mesentery be classified. It could be a part of intestinal, immunological, endocrine or cardiovascular systems.</s>Scientists had officially declared another part of the human body. The new organ is known as the mesentery.

Mesentery had been discovered by scientists hundreds of years back, but it was thought to be just fragments of the digestive system. Science Alert said one of the earliest definitions of mesentery was made by Leonardo da Vinci, however it was ignored, thinking that it is just some kind of an attachment in the abdomen.

Through the years, mesentery has been defined as "a double fold of peritoneum - the lining of the abdominal cavity - that attaches our intestine to the wall of our abdomen, and keeps everything locked in place," the report said.



It is only until now that the mesentery has been understood. Calvin Coffey, a Professor of Surgery at UL's Graduate Entry Medical School found out through microscopic tests that mesentery is not just a fragment, rather a continuous structure.

"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," Professor Coffey said in a statement published in University of Limerick's website.

"During the initial research, we noticed in particular that the mesentery, which connects the gut to the body, was one continuous organ. Up to that it was regarded as fragmented, present here, absent elsewhere and a very complex structure. 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," Coffey explained.



The new discovery does not change human anatomy, but it can open a whole new field of medical science that could improve human health. Since mesentery had already been formally classified as the organ, the next step is to learn its function and soon investigate the role of mesentery in different abdominal diseases.

A paper published in The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology, outlines the bases for categorizing the mesentery as an organ.
Scientists classify the mesentery as an organ, making it the 79th human organ. It connects the intestines to the abdominal cavity.