The Human Digestive System - My Brother's Small Intestine

Mathew, I am tired of knocking on the toilet door begging you to come out

I suspect the human digestive system in you is not producing enough enzymes. Let me take out my crystal ball to locate the root of your problem.

I see you and your girl friend dancing with fifty people in a club. I see the dance floor crinkling and crinkling until the 200 square meters surface is folded in a 6 meters long tube which becomes your small intestine.

The crystal ball is magnifying a cross section of your small bowel. There are many folds that look like speed bumps - something a speed hog like you hate. In fact they are called circular folds and they do act as speed bumps to delay the stay of your favourite barbecued chicken.

Part of the human digestive system From Wikipedia: Endoscopic image of adenocarcinoma of duodenum seen in the post-bulbar duodenum.

Don't worry about the cancer, the crystal ball accidentally shows another person's small bowel lol, but I want y ou to take note of the circular folds also called plicae circulares

One of the circular fold is becoming larger...I see numerous finger-like projections called villi. The crystal ball zooms into a villus. Let me look for inward foldings of the moist tissue lining the small intestine among the villi. Ah...found one, this is the intestinal gland which secretes 1-2 liters of intestinal juice daily. Unlike gastric juice, the slightly alkaline intestinal juice is relatively enzyme-poor. Located deep in the intestinal gland are specialized secretory cells called paneth cells that secrete the enzyme lysozyme. Lysozyme is an antibacterial enzyme which helps your small intestine fight certain bacteria. I am recalling one occasion you had acute food poisoning after eating BBQ chicken wings from a hawker's stall. Probably you need more lysozyme.

As the villus becomes larger...I see hmmm only fuzzy brush-like surface, these are the microvilli. They have another name that fits their appearance - the brush border. The brush border is the main producer of digestive enzymes in your small intestine. These enzymes - dextrinase, glucoamylase, maltase, sucrase and lactase are collectively called brush border enzymes.

The brush border enzymes need to work together with another section of your digestive system enzymes from the pancreatic juice which flows into your small intestine to digest your barbecued chicken properly. Alas, I don't seem to see much digestive enzymes from your brush border and pancreas. It is said that you need to eat raw and natural food to produce digestive enzymes. But you have been on a typical man's diet - maximum amount of deep-fried meat and pitiable amount of salads and fruits.

Your small intestine is an example of how the human digestive system provides us natural free enzymes for a constipation-free day. However you, my brother, would rather fork out much hard cash$ for enzyme supplements because you are a lazy bum who rarely cut a single fruit or vegetable. Well...even when I make salads, you are never interested.

By the way do you notice, since you started on that enzyme drink, I don't have to fight with you over the toilet anymore?

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