It is hard to believe that this day in age with advanced medicine and technology that we would still be finding new organs in the human body. But it seems that a group of researchers at New York University have found a new organ that lies beneath the skin and is present throughout the body, called the Interstitium. Due to its web-like appearance and fluid-filled compartments, it was thought to just be a dense layer of connective tissue. Scientists say that this has gone without notice for so long due to the imperfect methods used for studying tissue. When examining tissue under a microscope, it must be cut and cured with chemicals that make it easier to study, thus killing the tissue. But while this is helpful for studying tissue, it ends up draining the fluid and destroying the Interstitium. So when scientists at NYU studied live tissue instead by using a camera probe, they ended up accidentally finding this new organ and began to focus on it.
It is hypothesized that these fluid-filled compartments of the Interstitium protect the body’s tissue by acting as a shock absorber. This would help explain why it lines the lungs, urinary system, and digestive tract. Through further research into the physiology and functions of the Interstitium, scientists hope to gain knowledge into how cancer spreads throughout the body. The Interstitium might just be crucial for developing a method for stopping cancers from spreading.
As this news came out less than a week ago, time will tell how important this finding really is. I would expect to see more advanced studies done to understand the Interstitium and its relevance to human physiology and disease. It is exciting to see this rare kind of news and where it goes next, as there seems to be a lot of potential for our “new” organ.
James Bowler (3)
I'm shocked a new organ has been discovered. I agree with you that it is very surprising for someone to be discovering a new organ in this day and age with all of the technology we have.
ReplyDelete-- Hannah Kullberg (2)
Yes, it is still shocking to me that scientists just discovered a new organ after they have had such great knowledge of the human body up to this point. Really proves that there is still a lot that we do not know !
DeleteMakes me wonder what they mean by "imperfect" methods of studying tissue. In a field that has made so many great advancements, it is surprising that the medical field was able to overlook something so basic and I am curious why their methods were insufficient. That being said, it is still pretty fascinating that there is still so much to learn about the human body, which apparently could use some more modern anatomical research.
ReplyDeleteHarris Jackson (1)
I agree that there is still a lot more research that needs to be done on the human body. It is odd however that there are such flaws in the methods of studying tissue, perhaps there needs to be changes made in this area.
DeleteIt is so interesting that we have an organ that is exclusively for shock absorption. When humans were evolving back in the day, we didn't have cars, or anything that could make us go fast, and we definitely weren't jumping off of cliffs, so without possibility for major impact, why would we need shock absorption. well over the summer i got a concussion without even hitting my head, my back hit the ground and i used my neck to decelerate the movement of my head almost instantaneously. the impact of my brain hitting my skull was enough. It turns out if it was possible to instantly decelerate, even at one mile an hour, we would die.
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