A fluid-filled network making up twenty percent of your body went unnoticed for centuries
The interstitium, a vast network of fluid-filled compartments found throughout the human body, remained hidden from medical science until 2018 because traditional sampling methods caused its delicate structures to collapse.
The interstitium was identified as a distinct organ in 2018 after researchers used probe-based confocal laser endomicroscopy to observe living tissue. This network of collagen-lined, fluid-filled sacs spans the skin, digestive tract, and lungs, accounting for approximately 20% of an adult's total body weight.
There's more to this story — open the app to keep reading.
Continue Reading in App
1 more paragraphs · plus a 2-question quiz