Exchange in the gut
- Created by: siobhan
- Created on: 04-05-13 17:02
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- Exchange in the gut
- The food we eat is digested in the gut into small, soluble molecules. In the small intestine these solutes are absorbed into the blood. The villi line the inner surface of the small intestine and are the exchange surface for the food molecules
- The villi are finger-like projections which greatly increase the surface area for absorption to take place
- The walls of the villi are very thin and there are many capillaries close to the wall
- The rich blood supply produces a steep concentration gradient for efficient diffusion
- Thin walls (only one cell thick) give a shorter distance across which diffusion takes place
- The walls of the villi are very thin and there are many capillaries close to the wall
- The soluble products of digestion can be absorbed into the villi by either diffusion or active transport
- The villi are finger-like projections which greatly increase the surface area for absorption to take place
- The food we eat is digested in the gut into small, soluble molecules. In the small intestine these solutes are absorbed into the blood. The villi line the inner surface of the small intestine and are the exchange surface for the food molecules
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