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The circular folds slow the passage of the partly digested food along the intestines, and afford an increased surface for absorption. [4] They are covered with small finger-like projections called villi (singular, villus). Each villus, in turn, is covered with microvilli. The microvilli absorb fats and nutrients from the chyme.
Each of these microvilli are about 1 μm in length, around 1000 times shorter than a single villus. The intestinal villi are much smaller than any of the circular folds in the intestine. Villi increase the internal surface area of the intestinal walls making available a greater surface area for absorption.
The destruction of microvilli can actually be beneficial sometimes, as in the case of elimination of microvilli on white blood cells which can be used to combat auto immune diseases. [6] Congenital lack of microvilli in the intestinal tract causes microvillus atrophy, a rare, usually fatal condition found in new-born babies.
It is about 2.5 m (8.2 ft) long and contains the circular folds also known as plicae circulares and villi that increase its surface area. Products of digestion (sugars, amino acids, and fatty acids) are absorbed into the bloodstream here. Ileum: The final section of the small intestine. It is about 3 m long, and contains villi similar to the ...
The individual epithelial cells also have finger-like projections known as microvilli. The functions of the circular folds, the villi, and the microvilli are to increase the amount of surface area available for the absorption of nutrients, and to limit the loss of said nutrients to intestinal fauna.
Microvilli are present on the epithelium of a villus and further increase the surface area over which absorption can take place. Numerous intestinal glands as pocket-like invaginations are present in the underlying tissue. In the large intestines, villi are absent and a flat surface with thousands of glands is observed.
Circular folds are transverse folds that slow the passage of the luminal contents and serve to expand the total surface area threefold. Villi and intestinal glands serve to increase the mucosal surface area tenfold. (Intestinal villus) Microvilli covering the apical
These folds together with villi serve to increase the surface area of the jejunum enabling an increased absorption of digested sugars, amino acids and fatty acids into the bloodstream. The circular folds also slow the passage of food giving more time for nutrients to be absorbed. The last part of the small intestine is the ileum.