Digestive System | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/digestive-system/RSS feed for Digestive SystemenThu, 23 Oct 2025 17:14:47 +0000How Far Is Too Far for Ultra-Endurance Athletes? This Study of Metabolism Found Outhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-far-is-too-far-for-ultra-endurance-athletes-this-study-of-metabolism-found-out-180987551/Individual athletes ran an average of 4,000 miles over a year to help define the human body's limit for energy expenditureThu, 23 Oct 2025 17:14:47 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-far-is-too-far-for-ultra-endurance-athletes-this-study-of-metabolism-found-out-180987551/Researchers Discover the Trick That Allows Burmese Pythons to Digest the Bones of Their Preyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/researchers-discover-the-trick-that-allows-burmese-pythons-to-digest-the-bones-of-their-prey-180987006/Special intestinal cells collect excess minerals into particles the snakes can poop out, according to a new studyFri, 18 Jul 2025 18:34:47 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/researchers-discover-the-trick-that-allows-burmese-pythons-to-digest-the-bones-of-their-prey-180987006/Fossil Hunter Discovers 66-Million-Year-Old Vomit in Denmark, Offering a Clue to the Cretaceous Food Chainhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/fossil-hunter-discovers-66-million-year-old-vomit-in-denmark-offering-a-clue-to-the-cretaceous-food-chain-180985931/A marine animal snacked on some sea lilies that did not agree with its stomach—and we now know what happened nextThu, 30 Jan 2025 19:12:08 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/fossil-hunter-discovers-66-million-year-old-vomit-in-denmark-offering-a-clue-to-the-cretaceous-food-chain-180985931/These Frankenstein-Like Sea Creatures Can Actually Fuse Their Bodies Togetherhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-frankenstein-like-sea-creatures-can-actually-fuse-their-bodies-together-180985218/Two comb jellies can merge their digestive and nervous systems and even sync their bodily functions, according to new research. The discovery could have implications for human medicineThu, 17 Oct 2024 15:16:25 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-frankenstein-like-sea-creatures-can-actually-fuse-their-bodies-together-180985218/Inside the Hidden Kingdom of Viruses in Your Guthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/inside-the-hidden-kingdom-of-viruses-in-your-gut-180984933/Human innards are teeming with viruses that infect bacteria. Here's what scientists are learning about themFri, 23 Aug 2024 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/inside-the-hidden-kingdom-of-viruses-in-your-gut-180984933/How Do We Know When to Pee?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/how-do-we-know-when-to-pee-180984448/The basic urge is surprisingly complex and can go awry as we ageWed, 05 Jun 2024 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/how-do-we-know-when-to-pee-180984448/How Saliva Changes the Flavor of Foodhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/how-saliva-changes-the-flavor-of-food-180981477/The liquid impacts how we perceive taste and can influence what we choose to eatTue, 24 Jan 2023 13:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/how-saliva-changes-the-flavor-of-food-180981477/Sharks' Intestines Spiral Like a Valve Invented by Nikola Teslahttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/sharks-intestines-spiral-valve-invented-nikola-tesla-180978307/Tesla's ingenious valve promoted a one-way flow of fluid without the need for moving parts, but, it turns out, evolution got there firstThu, 29 Jul 2021 11:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/sharks-intestines-spiral-valve-invented-nikola-tesla-180978307/Wombats Poop Cubes, and Scientists Finally Got to the Bottom of Ithttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-have-solved-mystery-how-wombats-poop-cubes-180976898/The marsupial’s unique digestive tract forms square dungMon, 08 Feb 2021 20:15:32 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-have-solved-mystery-how-wombats-poop-cubes-180976898/A Swan Swallowed This Fish Egg, Pooped It Out—and Then 49 Days Later, It Hatchedhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-fish-eggs-can-travel-through-swans-digestive-system-and-emerge-intact-180972426/The new study is one of the first to demonstrate fish egg dispersal via avian fecal matterTue, 18 Jun 2019 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-fish-eggs-can-travel-through-swans-digestive-system-and-emerge-intact-180972426/