Scientists have discovered a new human organ.
The mesentery a fold of the peritoneum that connects the intestine to the abdomen was once thought to be made up of multiple separate parts.
Research published in The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology journal in November reveals that the section of the digestive membrane is actually one continuous organ.
In the paper, which has been peer reviewed and assessed, we are now saying we have an organ in the body which hasnt been acknowledged as such to date, researcher J. Calvin Coffey, from the University Hospital Limerick in Ireland, said in a release.
The official function of the organ is not yet known, but researchers hope studying it will teach them about its impact on certain digestive diseases.
When we approach it like every other organ
we can categorize abdominal disease in terms of this organ, Coffey, who first made the discovery, said.
Scientists believe the mesentery plays a structural role, and may also impact the immune system, according to the International Business Times.
Medical textbook Grays Anatomy was updated last year to reflect the discovery.
The first to draw the mesentery was Leonardo da Vinci in 1508.