most nutrients are absorbed in the small intestine in the abdomen.
most nutrients are absorbed in the small intestine in the abdomen.
where are most nutrients absorbed in the small intestine?
the abdomen
the horse’s small intestine is long and holds . this is the major digestive organ, and where most nutrients are absorbed. it has three parts, the duodenum, jejunum and ileum. the majority of digestion occurs in the duodenum while the majority of absorption occurs in the jejunum. bile from the liver aids in digesting fats in the duodenum combined with enzymes from the pancreas and small intestine. horses do not have a gall bladder, so bile flows constantly. most food is digested and absorbed into the bloodstream from the small intestine, including proteins, simple carbohydrate, fats, and vitamins a, d, . any remaining liquids and roughage move into the large intestine.
equine anatomy
lymph vessels called lacteals are at the beginning of the gastrointestinal tract, predominantly in the small intestine. while most other nutrients absorbed by the small intestine are passed on to the portal venous system to drain via the portal vein into the liver for processing, fats (lipids) are passed on to the lymphatic system to be transported to the blood circulation via the thoracic duct. (there are exceptions, for example medium-chain triglycerides are fatty acid esters of glycerol that passively diffuse from the gi tract to the portal system.) the enriched lymph originating in the lymphatics of the small intestine is called chyle. the nutrients that are released into the circulatory system are processed by the liver, having passed through the systemic circulation.
lymphatic system