Intestinal juice
Intestinal Juice
Intestinal juice (/ɪnˈtɛstɪnəl dʒuːs/), also known as succus entericus, is a clear to pale yellow watery secretion from the glands in the intestinal wall that aids in the digestion of food.
Etymology
The term "intestinal juice" is derived from the Latin words "intestinum", meaning "gut", and "sucus", meaning "juice". The term "succus entericus" is derived from the Latin "sucus", meaning "juice", and "entericus", meaning "intestinal".
Function
Intestinal juice contains water, mucus, and a variety of enzymes. These enzymes include peptidases, which break down proteins into amino acids; sucrase, maltase, and lactase, which break down sugars; and lipase, which breaks down fats. The mucus in the juice helps to lubricate the intestinal walls and protect them from the acidic chyme that is passed from the stomach.
Related Terms
- Digestive system: The system of organs responsible for getting food into and out of the body and for making use of food to keep the body healthy.
- Enzyme: A substance produced by a living organism which acts as a catalyst to bring about a specific biochemical reaction.
- Chyme: The pulpy acidic fluid which passes from the stomach to the small intestine, consisting of gastric juices and partly digested food.
- Mucus: A slimy substance, typically not miscible with water, secreted by mucous membranes and glands for lubrication, protection, etc.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Intestinal juice
- Wikipedia's article - Intestinal juice
This WikiMD dictionary article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.
Languages: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski