This story is part of a series exploring human anatomy and physiology complexities. Each story in this collection showcases discoveries reshaping our understanding of the body's inner workings, ...

The human small intestine is an essential organ that helps us absorb nutrients and vitamins from food. It is an average of 6 meters long and is covered with millions of villi that are separated by ...

Through a collaboration between Cornell and the State University of Binghamton in February, scientists found that food grade nanoparticles may potentially have detrimental effects on the function and ...

Intestinal cells can change specializations during their lives. The BMP signaling pathway – an important communication mechanism between cells – appears to be the driver of these changes. That is wat ...

The gut plays a central role in the regulation of the body's metabolism and its dysfunction is associated with a variety of diseases, such as obesity, diabetes, colitis and colorectal cancer that ...

Ileus is a temporary condition where your intestine can’t push food and waste out of your body. Your intestine is a long and winding tube inside of your body that attaches your stomach to your anus.

The intestinal epithelium undergoes rapid renewal every 3–5 days, a process driven by intestinal stem cells (ISCs) located at the base of crypts.