Small Intestine – Duodenum and Ileum

The small intestine is the primary site of nutrient absorption. It receives chyme from the stomach and further breaks down food using enzymes produced by the pancreas and intestinal wall. Nutrients are then absorbed into the bloodstream.

Imagine the small intestine as a conveyor belt in a factory. As the chyme moves through the small intestine, nutrients are absorbed from it and delivered into the bloodstream, just like products being sorted and transported along a conveyor belt in a factory.

Egestion

• Egestion is the removal of undigested food from the body as feces.

Imagine the large intestine as a waste disposal system. After the nutrients have been absorbed, the indigestible and unused parts of the food, along with some water, form feces. The large intestine acts like a garbage collector, gathering the waste and storing it until it’s ready to be eliminated from the body through the rectum and anus.