Gastrointestinal Structure and Function.- Pathophysiology of Gut Dysfunction in Shock and Sepsis.- Intestinal Musosal Hyperpermeability in Critical Illness.- Molecular Mechanisms of Intestinal Injury, Repair, and Growth.- Regulation of Gut Perfusion.- Regulation of Gut Oxygen Delivery, Cellular Oxygen Supply and Metabolic Activity.- Immunology of the Gut.- Mast Cells and Neutrophils in Intestinal Ischemia/Reperfusion.- Clinical Markers of Gastrointestinal Dysfunction.- Bacterial Translocation.- Bacterial Translocation: Intestinal Epithelial Permeability.- Is Bacterial Translocation Clinically Relevant?.- Experimental Multiple Organ Failure and Gut Dysfunction.- Intestinal Cytokines.- Selective Decontamination of the Digestive Tract.- Increased Gastrointestinal Permeability.- Gut Dysfunction in Trauma Patients.- Gut Perfusion.- Gastrointestinal Mucosal Ischemia.- Monitoring Gut Perfusion.- Effects of Pharmacologic Agents on Splanchnic Blood Flow.- Therapeutic Options to Increase Splanchnic Blood Flow.- Gut Metabolism.- Gastrointestinal Exocrine Failure in Critical Illness.- Early Enteral Nutrition in the Surgical Patient.- Glutamine: A Gut Essential Amino Acid.- Enteral Nutrition Support in Surgical Intensive Care Patients.- Enteral Diets in Critically Ill Patients.- Future Directions.- Experimental Advances in Intestinal Monitoring.- Growth Factors and the Intestine.