Chapter 11: Problem 9

What happens in the small intestine?

Short Answer

Expert verified

In the small intestine, food is further broken down by digestive juices from the body's organs, and the resulting simpler substances are absorbed into the bloodstream through millions of tiny, fingerlike structures called villi lining the intestine walls. Undigested material is passed on to the large intestine.

Step by step solution

Definition of Small Intestine

The small intestine is a part of the digestive system, which connects the stomach to the large intestine.

Anatomy of Small Intestine

Understand that the small intestine is further divided into three sections: the duodenum, the jejunum, and the ileum.

Digestive Function of Small Intestine

Recognize that the digestion process continues in the small intestine, where digestive juices from the pancreas, liver, gallbladder, and the intestine itself, break down our food into simpler substances.

Absorptive Function of Small Intestine

Understand that the walls of the small intestine are lined with millions of tiny, fingerlike structures called villi. These villi increase the surface area of the intestine and help in the absorption of these simpler substances into the bloodstream.

Transfer to Large Intestine

The remaining undigested food is then transferred to the large intestine.

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What happens in the small intestine?

Short Answer

Step by step solution

Definition of Small Intestine

Anatomy of Small Intestine

Digestive Function of Small Intestine

Absorptive Function of Small Intestine

Transfer to Large Intestine

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