Irish scientists have identified a new organ in the human digestive system, taking the count of organs in the human body to 79.
The organ, named mesentery, connects the intestine to the abdomen. Mesentery was previously considered to be a fragmented structure made up of multiple parts.
However, a team of researchers led by J Calvin Coffey, Professor at University of Limerick (Ireland), describe it as an ‘undivided’ and ‘continuous’ structure and outlined the evidence for categorising the mesentery as an organ in the paper published in the journal The Lancet Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
During the initial research, the researchers found that the mesentery, which connects the gut to the body, was one continuous organ.
Coffey the organ had been previously regarded as “fragmented, present here, absent elsewhere and a very complex structure”.
According to the scientists, better understanding and further scientific study of the mesentery could lead to less invasive surgeries, fewer complications, faster patient recovery and lower overall costs.
According to Coffey, mesenteric science is a brand new field of medical study.
(With inputs from IANS)
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