What is the top portion of the intestine called?
1 Answer
The small intestine is divided into three parts: the duodenum, the jejunum and the ileum.
Explanation:
The small intestine is divided into three parts: the duodenum, the jejunum and the ileum. In an adult, the small intestine measures about 7m or 23 feet long.
The duodenum is short, only about 25cm or about 10 inches long. Entering the duodenum is the common bile duct, releasing bile from either the liver, where it is manufactured or from the gall bladder, where it is stored.
Bile is a mixture of bile salts and bile pigments. Bile salts emulsify fats, breaking them down in to small droplets, so that it is more readily digested by lipase.
The pancreas secretes more amylase, lipase and several protein-digesting enzymes . The pancreatic juice is alkaline.
A second function of the small intestine is absorption of digested food, this occurs in the jejunum and ileum.
