How much guts does it take to survive? Nature supplies man with an average 25 feet, four-fifths of it in the small intestine (comprising the duodenum, ileum and jejunum). Through the small intestine’s ...

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: ...

Bacteria in the small intestine adapt dynamically to our nutritional state, with individual species disappearing and reappearing. Researchers have now been able to comprehensively study the bacteria ...

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, ...

Humans have just as many microbes in their microbiota as there are cells in the body, and most of these are in the large intestine (colon). They are an important part of our "digestion" because they ...