Ancestors

Written by John Carlos Baez on 2025-01-19 at 19:04

Have scientists discovered a new organ that accounts for about 20% of your body weight?

It's called the 'interstitium'. It's a network of channels between the other organs. The fluid in these channels is called 'interstitial fluid', and it transports nutrients and molecules that carry communications between cells, especially involving the immune system. The interstitium drains into the lymph system, but it's not the same thing.

Here's an interesting show about why it remained unnoticed for so long. Basically the problem was that scientists were studying dried-up tissue samples instead of living tissue!

Thanks to @rustoleumlove for alerting me to the interstitium here on Mastodon before I heard about it in on the radio.

https://radiolab.org/podcast/interstitium

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Written by llewelly on 2025-01-19 at 20:01

@johncarlosbaez @rustoleumlove

I feel like this isn't a new discovery??

Apparently the wikipedia page was started in 2018. Not sure whether 6 years old qualifies as new.

https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Interstitium&diff=856444742&oldid=851065115

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Written by John Carlos Baez on 2025-01-19 at 21:01

@llewelly - if it's not new to the people reading my post, they will not boost it.

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Toot

Written by llewelly on 2025-01-19 at 21:03

@johncarlosbaez

wait a minute, I boosted it. Should I unboost it?

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Descendants

Written by John Carlos Baez on 2025-01-19 at 21:10

@llewelly - if you consider it boring and old, please unboost it.

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Written by llewelly on 2025-01-19 at 21:11

@johncarlosbaez it's not new, but it's definitely interesting!

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