Scientists Discover New Organ in Human Throat

Category: Health

Listening

Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

  1. cartilage / ˈkɑr tl ɪdʒ / (n) – a tough but flexible type of tissue found in certain areas of the body, such as the joints, nose, and ear
    Example:

    The man slipped and tore the cartilage in his knee.


  2. lubricate / ˈlu brɪˌkeɪt / (v) – to apply a liquid substance to something to make it slippery or move smoothly
    Example:

    The mechanic used oil to lubricate the gears of the car.


  3. dissect / daɪˈsɛkt / (v) – to carefully cut up something in order to examine it and its insides
    Example:

    Mark felt sick during biology class because we had to dissect a frog.


  4. cadaver / kəˈdæv ər / (n) – a dead body usually used for medical studies
    Example:

    I always got nervous around cadavers when I was just a medical student. Now I’m more used to them.


  5. chemotherapy / ˌki moʊˈθɛr ə pi / (n) – the use of chemical substances to treat diseases
    Example:

    Cancer treatment often involves chemotherapy.


Article

Read the text below.

Scientists from the Netherlands discovered a new organ located in the upper part of the human throat.


The newly identified organ was named the tubarial salivary glands because it was found on top of a piece of cartilage called the torus tubarius. It is almost 3.8 centimeters long, and the scientists believe it may exist to moisten and lubricate the upper throat.


The scientists accidentally discovered the new glands while examining one patient in an experiment. According to them, the technology they used in their study could detect cancerous cells and salivary glands.


Until now, scientists were only aware of three major salivary glands in the human body. These glands are found under the tongue, near the ears, and below the jaw. In addition to them, various smaller salivary glands are scattered throughout the mouth and throat tissues.


To confirm if the newly discovered tubarial glands are indeed present in everyone, the scientists examined 100 patients and dissected two cadavers. They found that all of the patients and cadavers had the glands.


Based on their findings, the scientists strongly believe that the tubarial glands are a new organ. However, several doctors disagree, saying that the new discovery could just be smaller salivary glands that were previously undetected. According to one expert, the study’s data is unreliable because of its low participant count.


Despite other experts’ doubts, one doctor said that the discovery could have clinical implications and might help doctors understand why some head and neck chemotherapy patients suffer from swallowing problems and chronic dry mouth.


Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

• Do you think it’s too early for the scientists to strongly believe that their discovery is a new organ? Why or why not?
• If you were one of the scientists, what would you do if you found that the tubarial glands aren’t a new organ (e.g. study more about the glands, apologize to the scientific community)? Explain.

Discussion B

• Which part of the human body do you think scientists should study more about? Why?
• Do you think it’s still important to discover new organs in the human body? Why or why not?