How long is the duodenum? What is its primary job?
1 Answer
Jul 8, 2016
About 20-30 cm long. It has a major function in the digestion of food.
Explanation:
The duodenum is the first part of the small intestine and is about 20-30 cm (8-12 inches) long. It starts directly after the pyloric sphincter of the stomach and ends where the muscle that suspends the duodenum that suspends the duodenum.
The duodenum accepts the partly digested food mixed with acids from the stomach, this is called chyme. The duodenum continues the digestion of food by adding:
- bile from the liver and gallbladder
- bicarbonate from the pancreas which increases the pH
- enzymes (from pancreas or intestinal cells) such as lipase, trypsine, lactase and amylase
The duodenum also determines the rate at which the stomach empties and it triggers hunger signals.
