There are three enzymes in pancreatic juice that break down
carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. The gall bladder, located next to the liver,
stores bile produced by the liver. While bile does not contain enzymes, it
contains bile salts that help to Zymbiotix fats. The gall
bladder empties bile into the duodenum when chime enters that portion of the
intestine. The jejunum is about 8.2 feet (2.5 meters) long. The digested
carbohydrates, fats, proteins, and most of the vitamins, minerals, and iron are
absorbed in this section. The inner lining of the small intestine is composed
of up to five million tiny, fingerlike projections called villa. The villa
increases the rate of absorption of nutrients into the bloodstream by greatly
increasing the surface area of the small intestine. The large intestine is
wider and heavier than the small intestine. However, it is much shorter—only
about 5 feet (1.5 meters) long. It rises up on the right side of the body (the
ascending colon), crosses over to the other side underneath the stomach (the
transverse colon), descends on the left side, (the descending colon), then
forms an s-shape (the sigmoid colon) before reaching the rectum and anus.
