Small intestine
Intestinum tenue
- Synonym: Small bowel
Definition
The small intestine is a convoluted tube, extending from the pylorus to the ileal orifice (colic valve), where it ends in the large intestine.
It is about 7 meters long, and gradually diminishes in size from its commencement to its termination.
It is contained in the central and lower part of the abdominal cavity, and is surrounded above and at the sides by the large intestine; a portion of it extends below the superior aperture of the pelvis and lies in front of the rectum.
It is in relation, in front, with the greater omentum and abdominal parietes, and is connected to the vertebral column by a fold of peritoneum, the mesentery.
The small intestine is divisible into three portions: the duodenum, the jejunum, and the ileum.
References
This definition incorporates text from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy (20th U.S. edition of Gray's Anatomy of the Human Body, published in 1918 – from http://www.bartleby.com/107/).
