Intestinal villi
Intestinal villi are small, finger-like projections that extend into the lumen of the small intestine. They are part of the intestinal mucosa, and their function is to increase the surface area of the intestine and thus enhance the absorption of nutrients.
Structure[edit | edit source]
Each villus is approximately 0.5-1.6 mm in length, and has many microvilli (tiny hair-like structures) on the cells of its surface. This gives the villus a fuzzy appearance, which is why the surface of the small intestine is often described as being "brush border". The villi are covered with a single layer of columnar epithelial cells, which are responsible for the absorption of nutrients.
Function[edit | edit source]
The main function of the intestinal villi is to increase the surface area of the intestine, which allows for a greater absorption of nutrients. The villi and microvilli can increase the surface area of the small intestine by 30 times. This is crucial for the efficient absorption of nutrients, as the small intestine is the main site of nutrient absorption in the body.
Clinical significance[edit | edit source]
Damage to the intestinal villi can lead to malabsorption of nutrients, which can cause a variety of health problems. For example, in celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder, the immune system attacks the villi in response to the ingestion of gluten, leading to malabsorption of nutrients.
See also[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
Intestinal villi Resources | |
---|---|
|
Search WikiMD
Ad.Tired of being Overweight? Try W8MD's physician weight loss program.
Semaglutide (Ozempic / Wegovy and Tirzepatide (Mounjaro / Zepbound) available.
Advertise on WikiMD
WikiMD's Wellness Encyclopedia |
Let Food Be Thy Medicine Medicine Thy Food - Hippocrates |
Translate this page: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
தமிழ்,
తెలుగు,
Urdu,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
বাংলা
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
Greek,
português do Brasil,
polski,
română,
русский,
Nederlands,
norsk,
svenska,
suomi,
Italian
Middle Eastern & African
عربى,
Turkish,
Persian,
Hebrew,
Afrikaans,
isiZulu,
Kiswahili,
Other
Bulgarian,
Hungarian,
Czech,
Swedish,
മലയാളം,
मराठी,
ਪੰਜਾਬੀ,
ગુજરાતી,
Portuguese,
Ukrainian
WikiMD is not a substitute for professional medical advice. See full disclaimer.
Credits:Most images are courtesy of Wikimedia commons, and templates Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY SA or similar.
Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD