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The absorptive surface area of the small intestine is actually about 250 square meters (almost 2,700 square feet) - the size of a tennis court! There are two structures that allow absorbsion: 1) villi which are folds and 2) microvilli, tiny finger like projections on each villi.

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Fabiola Kshlerin

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2y ago
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7y ago

The absorptive surface area of the small intestine is actually about 250 square meters (almost 2,700 square feet) - the size of a tennis court! There are two structures that allow absorbsion: 1) villi which are folds and 2) microvilli, tiny finger like projections on each villi.

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7y ago

The absorptive surface area of the small intestine is actually about 250 square meters (almost 2,700 square feet).



The small intestine has three features which allow it to have such a huge absorptive surface area packed into a relatively small space:
•Mucosal folds: The inner surface of the small intestine is not flat, but thrown into circular folds. This not only increases the surface area, but helps regulate the flow of digested food through your intestine.
•Villi: The folds form numerous tiny projections which stick out into the open space inside your small intestine (or lumen), and are covered with cells that help
absorb nutrients from the food that passes through.
•Microvilli: The cells on the villi are packed full of tiny hair like structures called microvilli. This helps increase the surface of each individual cell, meaning that each cell can absorb more nutrients.



Your large intestine is about five feet (or 1.5 meters) long

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11y ago

Villi- finger like structures increase surface area and help absorb more nutrients into the blood stream

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14y ago

i think they are called villi

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11y ago

Plicae and villi

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Q: Which structures of the small intestines increase the surface area available for absorption?
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What does dietary fat in the intestines does to cholesterol absorption?

Increase it


What might be the advantage of the folds and coils of the small intestines?

slows down the passage of the food slomg the intestines, and afford an increased surface for absorption. Increase the surface area for the intestines to increase absorption of nutrients


What would happen to your body's absorption rate of the intestines if villi had no microvilli?

If the villi of the intestines had no microvilli, the absorption rate of the intestines would be significantly reduced. Microvilli are tiny finger-like projections on the surface of the villi that increase the surface area for absorption. Without microvilli, there would be less surface area available for nutrients to be absorbed into the bloodstream, leading to a decrease in absorption efficiency.


Why does intestinal tissue has so many projections?

isn't the many folds in the the intestines along with the villi and microvilli all there to increase the surface area of the intestines? which would increase the absorption of nutrients into the bloodstream or lymph vessels?


What structures increase the absorption in the small intestine?

absorption of molecules is directly related to the amount of surface area for the molecules to diffuse across the cell membrane. Villi are structures in the small intestines that increases the surface area of the small intestines because of the finger like projections.


Which structure is responsible for the absorption of nutrients from food?

Well, no structure absorbs nutrients as they just dissolve into the blood after they have been broken down into smaller soluble molecules from larger insoluble molecules by enzymes. Hope this helped (though it may not have).


Which part of the alimentary canal does absorption takes place?

In humans absorption takes place in the small intestines. In the small intestines are tiny structures called villi. Each villi has microvilli. These villi increase the surface area for absorption. Inside a microvilli, there is a network of capillaries and lacteals. Lacteals absorb amino acids and transport it to the liver via the subclavian vein which leads into the back of the neck, from there it gets distributed to the rest of the body. Back to the microvilli. The microvilli contains capillaries which absorb fatty acids and glycerols. These are transported to the liver via the heptic portal vein.


Why is the small intestine good at its job?

The small intestines job is to absorb food into the bloodstream. The inner layer of the small intestine is covered in small finger-like projections called villi, these increase the surface are and therefore increase the rate of absorption.


How is the small intestings adapted to increase absorption of food?

The cells that line small intestines have small projections on their surface called villi. These projections collectively increase the total surface area of the small intestine. This adaptation facilitates increased absorption of nutrients


What is the functions of plicae circulares?

The plicae circulares slow down the food passing along the intestines. Because of their shape there is an increase in the surface area between the food and the walls on the intestines which allows more efficient absorption of nutrients from the chyme - the stuff that comes from the stomach.


What is one way that the small intestine is modified to increase the surface area for digestoin and absorption?

The cell surface which lines the intestines have villi and microvilli. These are finger-like protrusions which increase the surface vastly.


What regions are responsible for increase in length and surface area necessary for digestion and absorption?

the snall and large intestines contain a brush border made up of villi and microvilli that increase surface area and aid in digestion