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The small intestine is a long, highly convoluted tube in the digestive system that absorbs about 90% of the nutrients from the food we eat. It is given the name âsmall intestineâ because it is only 1 inch in diameter, making it less than half the diameter of the large intestine.
Absorption is the movement of digested food molecules through the wall of the intestine into the blood or lymph. The small intestine is the region where digested food is absorbed. Most absorption happens in the ileum. This is the longest part of the small intestine and is between 2-4 metres long. The small intestine has a large internal surface area for absorption to happen quickly and efficiently.