Biology·Organisation & maintenance · NSSCO 3.6.2.4
Absorption
Narrated lesson · press play
The final step of nutrition — how the small intestine soaks up the digested food, why villi make it so good at the job, and where the absorbed food and water go next.
What you'll learn in this lesson
By the end you should be able to (NSSCO Biology 3.6.2.4):
- Identify the small intestine as the region for absorption of digested food
- Describe how villi increase surface area, and the structure of a villus (capillaries and lacteal)
- State the role of the hepatic portal vein and the liver in handling absorbed food
- State that water is absorbed in the small intestine and the colon
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Hands-on lab
Model absorption with Visking tubing in 3D