Small intestine

High school (ages 12+)
Human Body

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/small-intestine

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. How long is Small intestine?6 to 7 meters (approximately 20 to 23 feet) in adults
2. What is the primary absorbed nutrients?Carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, and water
3. What is the key hormonal regulators?Secretin, cholecystokinin (CCK), and gastrin influence its secretions and motility
4. Why is the small intestine so long?It is about 6-7 meters (20-23 feet) long, which gives it a huge surface area—about the size of a tennis court—so it can absorb as many nutrients as possible.
5. How does the small intestine absorb food?Inside the small intestine, tiny folds called villi and even smaller bumps called microvilli increase the surface area. Enzymes break food into tiny pieces, and the walls of the intestine use active transport and diffusion to pull these pieces into the blood and lymph.

Plicae circulares: Large, circular folds in the small intestine lining that increase surface area and slow food passage.
Chyme: The semi-fluid mass of partly digested food that passes from the stomach into the small intestine.
Lacteals: Specialized lymphatic vessels within the villi that absorb digested fats.