Hiding in Plain Sight: New Human Organ Classification
A professor at the University of Limerick has identified a gap in the classification of a portion of the digestive system. The mesentery, which connects the intestine to the abdomen, has for hundreds of years been mistakenly considered a fragmented structure made of separate parts. However, the Professor or Surgery at UL’s Medical School, J Calvin Coffey, challenged this ideology and found that the mesentery is one continuous structure. By acknowledging this differentiation, it allows researchers to target abnormalities and diseases as well as could lead to improved health outcomes.