What digestive process begins in the small intestine?
1 Answer
Digestion of fats, sugars and proteins.
Explanation:
The small intestine is divided into three parts--the duodenum, the jejunum and the ileum.
Entering the duodenum is the common bile duct, which conducts bile from the liver( which manufactures it ) or the gall bladder (which stores it ). Bile is a mixture of bile salts and bile pigments. The bile salts emulsify fats, breaking them down into small droplets, which are more easily digested by lipase.
The pancreas secretes more amylase, lipase, and several protein-digesting enzymes.
A second function of the small intestine is absorption of the digested food. This occurs in the jejunum and ileum , which comprise most of the small intestine.
The inner surface of the wall of small intestine contain circular folds bearing numerous finger-like projections, the villi , which greatly increase the absorbing surface of the small intestine. Sugars and amino acids that enter the villi are carried away by the blood that circulates in them through fine capillary network.
Each villus also contains a lacteal, a fine extension of the lymph system that accepts fatty acids.
