Microbiome research to date has been much like the parable of the blind men and the elephant. How much can be said about an elephant by examining just its tail? Researchers have studied what is most ...

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, ...

Plasticity among cell lineages is a fundamental, but poorly understood, property of regenerative tissues. In the gut tube, the small intestine absorbs nutrients, whereas the colon absorbs electrolytes ...

The organ's continuity can be seen only when it's exposed in a certain way In case you’ve ever wondered what connects your intestine to your abdomen, there’s a word – and now, a single organ – for ...

A signaling system known as the Wnt pathway plays a central role in how cells in the intestine grow, divide and renew ...

Research from an international team finds that the human gut is a site of rapid change, with recent and important deviations from other mammals, including our closest living relative, the chimpanzee.

The small intestine plays an important role in both digestion and in the endocrine response to regulate blood glucose levels. In the 21st century, a number of drugs have been developed which are based ...

Microbiome research to date has been much like the parable of the blind men and the elephant. How much can be said about an elephant by examining just its tail? Researchers have studied what is most ...

The gut microbiome is an important ecosystem of microbes that lives in each one of us, and its strength affects our overall health. However, the small intestine is an underappreciated part of the gut ...

These are common terms and definitions associated with the gastrointestinal system and digestive problems or diseases. Abscess: A swollen, infected, pus-filled pocket that can develop anywhere in your ...

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