Irish researchers at the University of Limerick have identified what they believe should be a new human organ called the mesentery that connects the abdomen to the intestines, reports CNBC.
The mesentery was originally thought to be a fragmented group of tissues, rather than a full organ. If widely accepted as an organ, its inclusion brings the organ count in the human body to 79.
The news has already led to an update in Gray's Anatomy, one of the world's most respected medical textbooks.
Professor J. Calvin Coffey noted in a press release that the organ's potential upgrade in status opens up a brand new field of medical study.
“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," Coffey said.
WATCH | A quick description of the mesentery
"One of the earliest descriptions of the mesentery was made by Leonardo da Vinci, and for centuries it was generally ignored .."
— Atta (@Attaboela_Ink) January 3, 2017
Well thanks, Leonardo.
WATCH | For more, check out the 60 Second Circa.
