Title: Jejunum's Function in the Small Intestine and Digestive System:
Headings: Anatomy and Function of the Digestive System
Anatomy and Function of the Digestive System
Mouth
Esophagus
Stomach
Small Intestine
Duodenum
Jejunum Function
Ileum
Large Intestine
Accessory Digestive Organs and Glands
Salivary Glands
Pancreas
Liver
Gallbladder
Digestive System Problems and Diseases
Diarrhea
Diverticular Disease
Gastroenteritis
Heartburn
Gas in the Digestive Tract
Hepatitis
Inflammatory bowel diseases
Ulcerative colitis
Crohn’s Disease
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Lactose intolerance
Peptic Ulcers
Cancers

Content: The stomach takes up to five hours to mix and digest solid food. The food passed from the esophagus into the stomach is mixed and churned with gastric juices (mucus, enzymes and acids secreted by the mucosa) and converted into a semifluid state (called chyme) which then passes into the small intestine. Once in the small intestine, carbohydrate digestion starts again and your body starts to absorb the nutrients from the food. A thick, ring-like smooth muscle, the pyloric sphincter, separates the stomach from the duodenum of the small intestine. This muscle is usually closed, but relaxes and opens to let the acid chyme into the small intestine, then closes to keep the chyme from going back into the stomach. Small Intestine
Small Intestine Inside Large Intestine
The small intestine is divided into three parts—the duodenum, jejunum and ileum. The small intestine is about 20 feet long and 1 inch wide. By putting your flattened palm on your belly button, you are covering most of the small space where the small intestine is coiled up. The small intestine is lined with protective mucus to prevent it from digesting itself. The lining has thousands of tiny folds and projections called villi.