Enjoy these 20 facts about our small intestines.
- The small intestine is a major site of digestion for us. After being converted into a soupy material in the stomach called chyme, our food moves into the small intestine.
- The small intestine is long. In fact it is roughly three times your height or roughly 18 feet in length.
- It is divided into three sections.
- The top part is called the duodenum and is roughly a foot in length.The middle section is called the jejunum and it is 7 feet in length and the longest section is the ileum.
- The small intestines carries out two main functions. It digests and absorbs
- In order to digest the food in the intestines the gallbladder releases bile into the small intestine. The bile helps to break down fat.
- In addition the pancreas secretes digestive enzymes into the intestines.
- The duodenum is shaped like the letter “ C”
- The walls of the small intestines have finger like projections called villi that help absorb nutrients that passes into the bloodstream.
- From the small intestine food passes to the large intestines where water is absorbed.
- Food stays in the small intestine approximately 6 to 8 hours.
- The small intestine is called the small intestine because it has a smaller diameter than the large intestine.
- The small intestine is lined with ridges and finger like projections called villi. The ridges and villi help increase the surface are of the small intestines.
- Food moves through the small intestine by the contractions of smooth muscles called peristalsis.
- The walls of the small intestines absorb nutrients and pass these into the bloodstream.
- The innermost layer of the small intestines is the mucosa.
- The small intestines is located between your stomach and the large intestines.
- The small intestines has a diameter roughly equal to your middle finger.
- The small intestines has bacteria that aids with digestion.
- The muscles in the small intestines are controlled by the autonomic nervous system.
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