Jejunum
DigestiveOrgansAbdomen
- What it is
- Middle part of the small intestine, starting at the duodenojejunal flexure and coiling mostly in the upper left of the infracolic abdomen; thicker-walled, wider and redder than the ileum, with tall, closely packed circular folds inside.
- Function
- Main site of absorption of sugars, amino acids and fatty acids through its villi.
- Size
- About 2.5 m long (two-fifths of the jejunoileum) and 2.5-3 cm wide; a representative 1.2 m of coil is modelled.
- Clinical note
- Its name comes from Latin jejunus, "empty", because it was usually found empty at autopsy.