Moreover, villi increase the surface area for absorption while microvilli increase the surface area for diffusion and take part in a wide variety of functions, including absorption, secretion, cellular adhesion, and mechanotransduction.

They increase the surface area for absorption of the digested food. The blood vessels present inside the villi can absorb the nutrients from the digested food. If the number of villi increases in number, the absorption of food will also increase.

A lacteal is a lymphatic capillary that absorbs dietary fats in the villi of the small intestine. Triglycerides are emulsified by bile and hydrolyzed by the enzyme lipase, resulting in a mixture of fatty acids, di- and monoglycerides.

Villi are specialized for absorption in the small intestine as they have a thin wall, one cell thick, which enables a shorter diffusion path. They have a large surface area so there will be more efficient absorption of fatty acids and glycerol into the blood stream.

Their main function is to absorb nutrients into the bloodstream. This might happen if your large intestine did not absorb water from chyme. Breaks down food for your body to use.

Functions

• Their function is to increase the surface area of the small intestinal wall for absorption of the digested food.
• These projections absorb the protein molecules and help in the transfer of the proteins to all cells and tissues.

Mouth. The mouth is the beginning of the digestive tract. In fact, digestion starts here as soon as you take the first bite of a meal. Chewing breaks the food into pieces that are more easily digested, while saliva mixes with food to begin the process of breaking it down into a form your body can absorb and use.