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The small intestine is a long, highly convoluted tube in the digestive system that absorbs about 90% of the nutrients from the food we eat. It is given the name âsmall intestineâ because it is only 1 inch in diameter, making it less than half the diameter of the large intestine.
The chloride ions are absorbed through the process of exchange. The colon secretes bicarbonate ions into the lumen which facilitates chloride absorption through the epithelial cells (R. Bowen, 1998). Finally water is absorbed through the regular osmosis processes that the body uses in the small intestine.The water is then diffused into the blood from the lumen directly (R. Bowen, 1998)..3 Absorption [edit]. Most digested molecules of food, as well as water and minerals, are absorbed through the small intestine. The mucosa of the small intestine contains many folds that are covered with tiny fingerlike projections called villi.