And it was pretty much there this whole time, just hiding in plain sight. We’re dealing with amazing new scientific possibilities every day, so it kinda shouldn’t come as a surprise that we’ve just discovered (Or perhaps ‘Rediscovered’ would suit this better) something inside ourselves.
The organ, called “Mesentery”, was basically considered as a fragmented structure comprised of multiple parts. Well, seems we were wrong. It instead turned out to be a single, continuous structure. Kudos to the researchers who managed to identify what millions of anatomists failed to do.
History of the organ
The earliest known mention of this particular part of our digestive system is made by the totally awesome Leonardo Da Vinci, who’s very much known for predicting futuristic technology (Helicopters, Tanks, machine guns to name a few), along with drawings of the numerous parts of our body. He also seems to have drew a rough sketch of Mesentery. His representation of the organ was followed through the ages and was thought to be made up of multiple parts until yesterday.
Welcome to the digestive system, Mesentery!
The research, led by J Calvin Coffey, a professor at the University of Limerick, Ireland, has isolated it as a separate organ, as opposed to a single structure.
What it means for the future of Medical study
The improvement of Medical science in the past decade has been pretty remarkable. The detection and treatment of various diseases and syndromes is getting easier with each passing day. However, when we’re to talk about the treatment of said disease, there isn’t much to brag about.
The primary function of this organ, apart from connecting the gut to our body, is still a mystery. Professor Coffey believes that the (Re)discovery of Mesentery will bring about changes in the detection, explanation, and treatment various identified and unidentified abdominal and digestive diseases.
He is also quoted as saying that the identification of function will also lead to the identification of it’s related diseases, thereby furthering medicinal study and opening up a new area of science.
The discovery of Mesentery thus reminds us that no matter how many advancements we make everyday, there will always be something left to learn. Food for thought!