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 ...

Researchers sheds light on a face-off in the intestines between the immune system and a bacterial pathogen whose family members cause gastrointestinal disease and the plague. The team's insights may ...

Shark intestines have a unique spiral shape that favors fluid flow in one direction. By learning about how this works, physicists hope to apply the principles to robotics and other applications ...

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 ...

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 ...

A diverticulum is an abnormal sac or pouch that develops at a weak point in the intestines. Various types of diverticula can develop as you age. When you’re born with a diverticulum in your intestines ...