Question

Explain the role of large and small intestine in human beings

Answer 1

Small Intestine

The small intestine is the longest part of the alimentary canal, about 20 feet long in humans.

It has regions, duodenum, the region which follows stomach, jejunum is the middle part and ileum is the later region which continues further into the large intestine.

The internal surface of the small intestine is folded into finger-like projections called villi.

A common pancreatic duct from pancreas and liver opens into the duodenum.

Most of the chemical digestion and absorption takes place in the small intestine.

 

Large Intestine

The large intestine in humans is about 5 feet long.

It has two regions, colon ( about 1.5 m) and rectum (10 cm in length in the adult).

The region of large intestine after ileum is called colon while the last part is called the rectum.

Colon has three regions as, ascending colon, transverse colon and descending colon.

At the base of the ascending colon, a small finger-like out-growth is seen and is called an appendix.

It houses many useful bacteria required for digestion of food.

Rectum opens to outside by anus.

The anus has internal and external anal sphincters.

Small Intestine

The small intestine is the longest part of the alimentary canal, about 20 feet long in humans.