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 ...

It was the ancient Greeks who first divided the 20-foot length of the small intestine into three parts: The duodenum, the jejunum and the ileum. However, the organ may finally be ready for an update: ...

Crypt-base-columnar cells are continuously dividing intestinal stem cells that generate IECs, which are composed by distinct specialised cell types that play different functions: Enterocytes (in the ...

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 ...

New research published today in Nature Genetics describes the largest-ever study into the genetics of random "round-the-clock" blood glucose levels. The study, involving almost half a million people ...

The IRE1β paralogue is expressed in intestinal epithelial cells (IECs), accomplishing different roles. In goblet cells, IRE1β tightly regulates mucin 2 (MUC2) expression through Regulated ...

Doctors use laboratory tests, imaging studies, and endoscopic procedures to help diagnose short bowel syndrome, which affects nutrient absorption in the small intestine. Short bowel syndrome (SBS) ...