The main purpose of the gastrointestinal tract is to digest and absorb nutrients (fat, carbohydrate, protein, micronutrients (vitamins and trace minerals), water, and electrolytes. Digestion involves both mechanical and enzymatic breakdown of food. Mechanical processes include chewing, gastric churning, and the to-and-fro mixing in the small intestine. Enzymatic hydrolysis is initiated by intraluminal processes requiring gastric, pancreatic, and biliary secretions. The final products of digestion are absorbed through the intestinal epithelial cells. Malabsorption constitutes the pathological interference with the normal physiological sequence of digestion (intraluminal process), absorption (mucosal process) and transport (postmucosal events) of nutrients. Intestinal malabsorption can be due to: * Congenital or acquired reduction in absorptive surface * Defects of ion transport * Defects of specific hydrolysis * Impaired enterohepatic circulation * Mucosal damage (enteropathy) * Pancreatic insufficiency
medical cause of Malnutrition
medical cause of Malabsorption
medical cause of Gigantism
medical cause of Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency
complications of Malabsorption
medical cause of Constipation
medical cause of Abdominal pain
medical cause of Hives