Title: 10 Facts About the Digestive System
Headings: Anatomy & Physiology of Digestion: 10 Facts That Explain How the Body Absorbs Nutrients
Anatomy & Physiology of Digestion: 10 Facts That Explain How the Body Absorbs Nutrients
Small Intestine
1. Digestion Breaks Down Food to Give the Body Energy
2. Digestion Is a 6-Step Process
3. Structures of the Alimentary Canal Ingest Food and Propel It on a Journey Through the Body
4. The Layers of the Stomach Wall Help It to Churn, Expand, and Contract
5. The Autonomic Nervous System Plays a Key Role in Digestion
6. The Pharynx Is a Multitasker
7. The Small Intestine Has Three Regions
8. The Duodenum Is a Receptacle for Digestive Fluids
9. The Large Intestine Has 8 Regions
10. Digestive Juices Chemically Break Down Food
External Sources

Content: During digestion it receives chyme from the stomach and bile, enzymes, and other digestive fluids from the liver and the pancreas. The jejunum is the middle portion of the small intestine (about 2.5 m long and 4 cm wide). The ileum is the lower segment and the longest of the three (about 3.5 m long). Finger-like projections called villi line the interior wall throughout the small intestine. The villi absorb most of the nutrients broken down by the digestive fluids. 8. The Duodenum Is a Receptacle for Digestive Fluids
Ducts from the pancreas, gall bladder, and liver empty pancreatic juice, bile, and other digestive fluids into the duodenum. The duodenum is the uppermost part of the small intestine, so it receives chyme from the stomach. This is where most chemical digestion occurs and where the absorption of vital nutrients, vitamins, and minerals begins. 9.