Newest human organ

The mesentery, which connects the stomach to the intestines and holds the lower digestive system in place, is the most recent structure in the human body to be classified as an organ, bringing the total number of organs to 79. Research by Irish surgeon Prof J Calvin Coffey, FRCSI, and D Peter O'Leary, PhD, published in the Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology (Volume 1, No. 3, p238–247, November 2016) confirmed the mesentery as a single, discrete piece of tissue that has its own functions, although further research is required to identify the exact role that the organ plays. In support of Prof Coffey's work, the esteemed Gray's Anatomy formally accepted the mesentery as an organ into its latest edition.

The mesentery was previous assumed to be a series of fragmented, unconnected tissues, but this new research has identified it as a continuous structure. Its structure and anatomy may have a role to play in diseases such as cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes and obesity, heralding the new field of mesenteric science.