Functions of the large intestine Meals pass from the small to the large intestine within 8-9 hours of ingestion. The small intestine will have absorbed about 90% of the ingested water. The large ...

A single layer of intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) provides a physical barrier that separates trillions of commensal bacteria in the intestinal lumen from the underlying lamina propria and deeper ...

The small intestine's function is to break down food from the stomach and absorb the nutrients. The main role of the duodenum, the first part of the small intestine completes the first phase of ...

CAMBRIDGE, MA -- MIT biologists have discovered an unexpected effect of a ketogenic, or fat-rich, diet: They showed that high levels of ketone bodies, molecules produced by the breakdown of fat, help ...

Most of us have experienced abdominal discomfort or actual abdominal pain associated with eating a meal. We usually accept occasional, minor discomfort as the price of eating too much or the wrong ...

This article – the fifth in a six-part series describes the physiology and functions of the large intestine, the last portion of the gastrointestinal tract, as well as common conditions of both the ...