After every meal, the intestines perform an action called peristalsis—moving food through their hollow interiors with coordinated contractions and relaxations of the smooth muscle. For more than a ...

According to a new study, slowing the aging of your intestines may be vital to slowing overall aging. An experiment on zebrafish showed that if the aging of just that one organ was slowed through DNA ...

When it comes to intestines, it sure seems like two are better than one. I asked my friend Franck Carbonero why that is. He’s a microbiologist at Washington State University. He studies the bacteria ...

Mesenteric artery ischemia is a condition that restricts blood flow to your intestines. Three main arteries, called the mesenteric arteries, supply blood to your small and large intestines. Narrowing ...

Intestinal pseudo-obstruction is a rare condition that occurs when you have symptoms of intestinal obstruction without anything physically blocking the intestines. It can be chronic or develop ...

Sharks have spiral-shaped intestines that work in a similar way to an unusual valve designed by Nikola Tesla. Studying their anatomy could help improve industrial fluid-pump technology. Most animals ...

Ileus is a lack of movement in the intestines that can lead to pain, nausea, bloating, and other symptoms. Abdominal surgery is a major risk factor. If complications develop, ileus may be life ...