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Enterocyte
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An enterocyte is a cell in the lining of the small intestine that specializes in absorption. One side faces the intestinal contents and the other faces the body's interior. Picture a customs checkpoint: digested molecules arrive and cross through controlled routes.
Its edge has microvilli, microscopic projections packed together like bristles. This brush border greatly expands the working surface. An enterocyte is a single cell, while an intestinal villus contains many cells.
In brief
An enterocyte is the main absorptive cell in the simple columnar epithelium lining the small intestine. Its surface facing the intestinal lumen receives the products of digestion before transferring them into the body.
That surface carries numerous microvilli, tiny projections that form the brush border and greatly expand the area available for absorption. An enterocyte is one specialized lining cell; it is not the entire intestine or a complete intestinal villus.
Sources (1)
- National Center for Biotechnology InformationPhysiology, Small Bowel
This page explains the topic in general terms; it does not tell anyone what treatment to follow.
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