Question

Why do we have villi in the small intestine?

Answer 1

Villi and microvilli (smaller hairs on the hairs) are there to absorb nutrients in the small intestine. The main reason why they are so small is to increase surface area. The more surface area, the more nutrients are going to be absorbed.

Explanation:

Villi are very small hair like hairs in your small intestine (3 sections of the small intestine are duodenum, jejunum and ileum). There are also microvilli on the villi which are even smaller hairs. This is to increase surface area so more nutrients can be absorbed. This is also another reason why the small intestine is so long. There are also circular folds in your small intestine to increase surface area even more!

Villi/Microvilli = More surface area = more nutrients absorbed.