Transparent mice and human organs have been created by scientists using a new technique which reveals the underlying structure of tissue.

Scientists led by Dr Ali Erturk at Ludwig Maximilians University in Munich developed a process which uses organic solvents to strip away fats and pigments but preserves the structure of the cells beneath.

The new technology allows body parts to be scanned by lasers under a microscope to capture the entire structure including all the intricate blood vessels and every single cell in its specific location.

They hope it will pave the way to print three-dimensional organs such as kidneys for transplants.

Using scans as a blueprint, they plan to print out the organs, then load a 3D printer with stem cells to inject the 'living ink' onto the scaffold.