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 ...

Chinese Medical Journals Publishing House Co., Ltd. The small intestine is not only essential for digestion and nutrient absorption but also for immune regulation and maintaining a balanced microbial ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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