The human intestine is part of the gastrointestinal tract and begins at the pylorus itself and ends with the posterior opening. In such an organ, thorough digestion of food and absorption of all its elements takes place. It is also worth noting that the intestinal organ plays a huge role in the body's immune system.
Where is the intestine in humans? The presented organ is located in the abdominal region (in its lower part) and occupies most of it. As you know, the total length of the human intestine is about four meters (during life) and about 500-800 centimeters after death. In newborns, the length of this organ varies from 340 centimeters to 360. At the end of the first year of life, it increases by about 50% and exceeds the growth of the child by 6-7 times.
Human intestine anatomy
The position, shape, and structure of this organ change as they grow older. The highest intensity of its growth is observed in the period from the 1st year to 3 years. This is due to the fact that the child gradually switches to mixed general food.
Anatomically, the human intestine is divided into the following departments:
The first section is part of the digestive system, which is located between the colon and stomach. In this body, all the main processes of digestion occur. The
small intestine owes its name to the fact that its walls are less durable than the walls of the large intestine. In addition, the lumen and cavity of this organ is also much smaller.
In turn, the human small intestine is divided into the following segments:
- 12 duodenal ulcer;
- skinny;
- iliac.
The large intestine is the lower end of the digestive tract. In it, the intake of liquid occurs and the formation of feces from the chyme. This intestine got its name due to the fact that its walls are much thicker than the walls of the previous section. It is worth noting that this body received such strength due to the muscle layer and connective tissue. The diameter of the colon and its internal lumen (cavity) also exceed the size of the small intestine.
The human large intestine is usually divided into the following segments:
- blind with a vermiform appendix (appendix);
- colon intestine with separate subdivisions;
- colon ascending colon;
- transverse colon intestine;
- colon descending colon;
- sigmoid;
- a straight line with a wide part, an ampoule, and a narrowing terminal - the anal canal, which ends with the anus.
The sizes of the main parts of the intestine
The length of the small intestine varies between 160-430 centimeters. As a rule, in women, this organ is somewhat shorter. The diameter of such an organ is 30-50 millimeters. The length of the large intestine ranges from 1.4-1.6 meters. Its diameter in the initial section is 7-10 centimeters, and in the caudal - 4-6.
The mucous membrane of such an organ is a multiple outgrowths-villi that protrude into the intestinal cavity. About 20-40 villi per square millimeter of intestinal surface.