Structure of villi

VILLI: 

''The digested food in the form of soluble molecules of glucose, fructose, amino acid, fatty acids and glycerol etc is absorbed into body through very fine finger like projections called Villi''.
  • Each Villus is about 1mm long.
  • There are about 5 million villi in the ileum.
    villi structure
    INTESTINAL VILLI
  • Inside each villus there is a dense network of blood capillaries and a single lymph vessel or lacteal(A lacteal is a lymphatic capillary that absorbs dietary fats in the villi of the small intestine).
  • Both blood vessel and lacteal absorb the digested food.
  • Nutrients other than fatty acids diffuse through the surface cells of villi and are taken to the blood flowing in capillaries of villi.
  • These capillaries join together to form a larger blood vessel called hepatic portal vein which carries the absorb food to the lever.
  • Some fatty acid, after they are absorbed by surface cells of villi; recombine to form fats which are passed onto the other side into lacteal rather than blood capillaries.
  • Lacteal of villi join together to form lymph vessel which finally delivers the fats into blood stream through lymphatic system.