The history of microbiota research has been driven by a series of technical innovations. In 1683, Leeuwenhoek first glimpsed the previously unseen world of microorganisms, including bacteria, hidden ...

Alterations in intestinal structure, mechanics and physiology underlie acute and chronic intestinal conditions, many of which are influenced by dysregulation of microbiome, peristalsis, stroma or ...

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 ...

Intestinal ultrasound demonstrates strong agreement with MRI in assessing Crohn’s disease activity, supporting its use as a ...

Darrin Carlson's chronic anemia was a telltale sign he might have internal bleeding. Doctors gave him X-rays, a colonoscopy and an endoscopy to try to find the source of his abdominal bleeding -- all ...

A signaling system known as the Wnt pathway plays a central role in how cells in the intestine grow, divide and renew themselves. Decades of research have shown that disruption of this pathway is a ...

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 ...

Short bowel syndrome (SBS) is diagnosed when part of the small intestine is missing or not functioning, most often after surgical removal due to Crohn’s disease, cancer treatments, necrotizing ...

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, ...

An enteroscopy is a procedure that uses a flexible tube called an endoscope to examine inside the small intestine. Enteroscopy is a nonsurgical procedure to diagnose and manage conditions of the small ...

Villi are tiny projections in the small intestine that absorb nutrients from food. Diseases like celiac disease and inflammatory bowel disease can damage villi and cause malabsorption. Villi are ...

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: ...