Title: What Does the Small Intestine Do?
Headings: What Does the Small Intestine Do?
What Does the Small Intestine Do?
Small Intestine Anatomy
Small Intestine Physiology
About The Author
Sarah Lewis, PharmD

Content: It finishes digestion by mixing partially digested food with more digestive enzymes and absorbs water and nutrients. Then, it passes the leftover material to the large intestine to absorb the remaining water and form solid waste—or feces. Each of the three sections has a role to play in the overall small intestine function: Duodenum: The duodenum receives stomach contents—or chyme. The chyme is only partially digested at this point. The liver, gallbladder and pancreas empty bile, digestive enzymes, and bicarbonate into the duodenum to further digest the chyme. Bile helps digest fats and fat-soluble vitamins, bicarbonate neutralizes stomach acid, and digestive enzymes further digest fats and carbohydrates. Jejunum: The jejunum takes care of 90% of nutrient absorption, mostly in the first half of this section.