Biopharmaceuticals, medium- and high-molecular weight biologically active macromolecules, are not easily absorbed by the small intestine, the main organ responsible for gastrointestinal absorption, ...

An exciting new study has examined how bacteria in the small intestine help digest and absorb high-fat foods. The novel research suggests that in the future we could potentially combat obesity by ...

To study absorption, two different approaches have been used. In vivo methods, such as measuring the disappearance of a test substance from the gut, its appearance in body fluids or its fecal output, ...

In this image, red is the color of absorption. The red cells in this image are enterocytes, which line the walls of your small intestine and are responsible for absorbing nutrients from the food you ...

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, ...

In the small intestine food that has already been broken down by chewing and stomach enzymes is further degraded by additional enzymes. Some of these chemicals are secreted in the lumen (the hollow ...

Background A 40-year-old male with pentalogy of Fallot (a congenital heart defect with five anatomical components) presented with recurrent gastrointestinal bleeding. He had recently recovered from a ...

Although the vast majority of research on the gut microbiome has focused on bacteria in the large intestine, a new study--one of a few to concentrate on microbes in the upper gastrointestinal ...

A new study -- one of a few to concentrate on microbes in the upper gastrointestinal tract -- shows how the typical calorie-dense western diet can induce expansion of microbes that promote the ...