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describe the process of absorption in small intestine

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Major absorption occurs in small intestine. During absorption in small intestine, the final products of digestion  such as glucose, fructose, fatty acids, glycerol and amino acids (almost all nutrients) pass through intestinal mucosa into  the blood or lymph. Absorption is carried out by passive, active or facilitated transport mechanisms.

The innermost layer of alimentary canal-mucosa, forms the finger-like folding called villi in small intestine that increases the surface area for absorption. Villi contain blood and lymph capillaries.

The digested insoluble fat components cannot be transported directly to blood so they are first converted to other forms and transported to lacteals (lymph capillaries) in the villi. These lacteals further release absorbed substances into the blood stream.

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All nutrients from the dite are absorbed by blood in the mucosa of small intestine by the procsee of diffusion.Small intestine also absorbe water and minerals thus playing a critial role in maintaning the bogy water and acid-base balance.

Small intestine is where the majority of food digestion occurs.At this point carbohydrates,proteins and fats are also partially digested.Chyme leaves the stomach and enter the duodenum (first portion of small intestine) via pyloric sphincter. Here the maltase break down to maltose into glucose monomers and peptidase break down peptides to amino acids. Bile is then released from the gfall bladder and enters the small intestine via bile duct to aid in the digestion of fats into fatty acids.The chyme then enters the juejnum (second part of small intestine) where the digestion stops and absorption begins.Glucise and amino acids are transported accross the membrane by means of active transport while glycerol and fatty acids require the help of carrier protein to enter the blood stream.Next the chyme enters the ileum (third part of small intestine) which is mainly responsible for the absorption og selective nutrients (vitamin c).Once the chyme leaves the small intestine,most of the nutrients have been absorbed and only waste materials are left behind.

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