What is the primary site for absorption of nutrients?
Understand the Problem
The question is asking about the specific location in the human body where most nutrient absorption occurs, typically involving knowledge of human digestion and anatomy.
Answer
small intestine
The primary site for nutrient absorption is the small intestine.
Answer for screen readers
The primary site for nutrient absorption is the small intestine.
More Information
The small intestine absorbs about 90% of nutrients and plays a critical role in digestion and nutrient absorption. It has specialized structures like villi and microvilli, which increase surface area to maximize nutrient uptake.
Tips
A common mistake is to think that nutrient absorption occurs mainly in the stomach; however, the stomach is primarily responsible for digestion rather than absorption.
Sources
- The small intestine - cancer.ca
- Physiology, Nutrient Absorption - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf - ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Your Digestive System & How it Works - NIDDK - niddk.nih.gov
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