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, ...

A new study -- one of a few to concentrate on microbes in the upper gastrointestinal tract -- shows how the typical calorie-dense western diet can induce expansion of microbes that promote the ...

BLOOM (TAMPA) – Alexander Lake, DO, a gastroenterologist at AdventHealth, joined Gayle Guyardo, host of the globally syndicated health and wellness show Bloom, to shed light on one of the most ...

The intestines work by absorbing nutrients and vitamins. They are part of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Together, the small and large intestines run from the end of the stomach to the anus. In this ...

In this image, red is the color of absorption. The red cells in this image are enterocytes, which line the walls of your small intestine and are responsible for absorbing nutrients from the food you ...

Villi are tiny projections in the small intestine that help absorb nutrients and aid digestion. Damage to your villi can lead ...

Women’s small intestines are longer than men’s, with this added length probably helping them to better absorb fat and other nutrients if needed for pregnancy and breastfeeding. “The small intestine is ...