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, ...

Explains the process of digestion, detailing how food is transformed into simpler substances that can be absorbed into the blood. It begins in the mouth with mastication and saliva mixing, followed by ...

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) affects how well the small intestine absorbs nutrients. Surgery, medications, and nutritional support are all part of a comprehensive treatment plan for this condition. SBS ...

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) ...

The US humorist Christopher Morley once described the human body as “an ingenious assembly of portable plumbing”. He wasn’t wrong: from our cardiovascular and lymphatic systems to our guts and urinary ...