The Small Intestine
It faces a frequently changing dietary and bacterial intake, and yet has to maintain a dynamic but balanced microflora within its lumen while being intermittently exposed to pathogens - Edward J. Hall
HWN Suggests
Home of the lactobacillus acidophilus
Although the small intestine only contains a small portion of all the bacteria in the intestinal flora (over 90% live a little further „downstream“ in the large intestine), probably the most „popular“ representative with an equally important function can be found here: Lactobacilli such as Lactobacillus Acidophilus stabilise the pH-value by producing lactic acid. If the pH-value in the small intestine were to shift, it could lead to an outbreak of pathogenic agents (such as intestinal yeast). A further function of many lactobacilli is to convert tryptophan molecules into immunologically effective particles. These small lactic acid bacteria play a fundamental role in a functional immune system…
Featured
You Cannot, Live Without Your Small Intestine
The small intestine cannot be completely removed. Patients undergoing extensive small bowel resection may be left with short bowel. Short bowel syndrome can happen if the majority of one’s small intestine is removed, taking one from, say, 22 feet of small intestine, down to 4 feet. Patients with short bowel syndrome will most often require supplemental fluid and sometimes intravenous nutrition because the small intestine plays a profound role in absorption of nutrients and electrolytes.
Articles of Interest
Journey Through the Digestive System: Small Intestine
The duodenum and the beginning of the jejunum are the primary site of absorption. The ileum is the localized site of B12 absorption.
Lab Builds a Fully Functioning Artificial Small Intestine
California researchers have created a tissue-engineered small-scale small intestine in mice, a breakthrough for regenerative medicine and a step toward...
Small Intestine
The small intestine (SI) is, in essence, an interface between the external environment and the body, and is both an absorptive surface and a barrier; it must digest and absorb nutrients while excluding antigens and microbes and eliminating fecal waste. It faces a frequently changing dietary and bacterial intake, and yet has to maintain a dynamic but balanced microflora within its lumen while being intermittently exposed to pathogens.
Small Intestine—Where the Action Is
The ancients were puzzled by its great length. If the stomach, as they believed, was where digestion took place, what use was all this coiled tubing? Today we understand that the stomach does relatively little digesting and absorbing of nutrients. The stomach is more of a churning, acid place of preparation for digestion and absorption, and as a muscular reservoir of food that squirts out chyme onto the luxurious carpet of the small intestine.
The Mysteries and Underdiagnosis of SIBO
SIBO is a notoriously underdiagnosed condition, despite research suggesting it may be a chief cause of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Approximately 11% of people worldwide suffer from IBS, a “wastebasket diagnosis” many patients with an array of digestive issues are given when doctors can’t pinpoint a more precise cause.
Resources
KenHub
The small intestine is the longest part of the digestive system. It extends from the stomach (pylorus) to the large intestine (cecum) and consists of three parts: duodenum, jejunum and ileum. The main functions of the small intestine are to complete digestion of food and to absorb nutrients. Dysfunction of the small intestine can bring you some uneasy experiences such as diarrhea while travelling or worse, on a date.
MUSC
It is approximately 20-25 feet in length and is about as big around as your middle finger. It is divided into three parts: the duodenum, jejunum and ileum.
