The |small intestine| is responsible for completing digestion and for absorbing the usable food products into the lymphatic system and bloodstream. The |small intestine| itself consists of a coiled, narrow tube (1-2 inches in diameter), between 19 and 22 feet (about 6-7 meters) long, in the lower abdomen, below the |stomach|. The |small intestine| extends from the |duodenum|, where it accepts the ~chyme~ (predigested food), to the iliocecal orifice, where it passes semifluid food by-products to the |large intestine|. The food is passed through the intestinal tract be wave-like |contractions|, called peristalytic waves, in the intestinal wall. The food is further digested by ~bile~ and other digestive juices deposited into the |duodenum| from the gallbladder, |pancreas|, and |liver|. The digesting food passes by the millions of villi (projections) on the inside wall of the intestines, which absorb |proteins| and |carbohydrates| into their |capillaries|, and lymphatic nodules, which absorb |fats|. The villi pass the |proteins| and |carbohydrates| to the |liver| for metabolic processing, and the lymphatic nodules pass the |fats| through the lymphatic system into the bloodstream. The |small intestine| is anchored to the spinal column by a vascular membrane called the mesentary.
