how are epithelial cells from the small intestine adapted to their specific function?

Answer 1

When you get a question relating structure to function, think about the function and then consider what structures would be needed to carry that function out.
Very briefly,
The small intestine is designed to absorb maximally the products of digestion. The material is passed from the stomach into the ileum and is highly acidic. It cannot escape to harm the rest of the body. Once the nutrients are absorbed, the waste must be passed on to the colon for water extraction and electrolyte balance and final removal.

The intestine is a tube that opens at the mouth and anus - it never allows contact with anything from outside the body (food, micro-organisms, dust etc) to the inside - in effect we are a tube within a tube arrangement. Thus the cells of the intestine must be joined together in such a way as to prevent leakage of interstitial fluid into it, or leakage of digested food out of it. These cells have "tight junctions" which are plaques that prevent fluid getting between the cells. This also maximises absorption of nutrients into the blood stream - ensuring none are lost.
There fore the cells of the ileum must have a massive surface area to maximise absorption - the walls are intricately folded and the cells have a microvilli "brush border" which increases the surface area to volume ratio.
The contents are highly acidic - the cells must also be able to counteract acid - goblet cells produce protective mucus (which also facilitates movement on thru the tract).
The stomach only partially digests food, the bulk of it is done in the ileum, so there must be cells that secrete enzymes that will break down proteins. But this would also break down the cells that produce them -so the cells secrete them in a safe form, and they are activated once they are in the mucus protected tract.

Glucose is actively transported across the epithelium (usually diffusion does the job), to prevent gradients building up in the cells that stop glucose entering and being lost.

(microflora are important for digestion and health - but are not components of the epithelial cells - they are commensal bacteria and therefore foreign organisms)

Get a good biology text book and read it - its the only way to pass your exams.

Answer 2

Epithelial Cells In Small Intestine

Answer 3

Microvilli on the apical surface is the correct answer. The presence of microvilli increase surface area dramatically, thus are specialized to absorb.
Ignore the response regarding crypts, that is at a gross anatomy level, not a cell specilization. Flora, while important in the digestion of food, is irrelevant when you are talking about absorption, which is what the purpose of the small intestine is.

Answer 4

epithelial cells get polarized to carry out their functions. this means that the membrane junctions, organelles and citoskeleton are localized in different parts of the cells, called domains. For example, one of the functions of intestinal cells is absorption. That's why the apical portion of the membrane has microvilli, to increase membrane surface.

Answer 5

The Normal Flora
In a healthy animal, the internal tissues, e.g. blood, brain, muscle, etc., are normally free of microorganisms. On the other hand, the surface tissues, e.g. skin and mucous membranes, are constantly in contact with environmental organisms and become readily colonized by certain microbial species. The mixture of organisms regularly found at any anatomical site is referred to as the normal flora.

The normal flora of humans is exceedingly complex and consists of more than 200 species of bacteria. The makeup of the normal flora depends upon various factors, including genetics, age, sex, stress, nutrition and diet of the individual. The normal flora of humans consists of a few eukaryotic fungi and protists, and some methanogenic Archaea that colonize the lower intestinal tract, but the Bacteria are the most numerous and obvious microbial components of the normal flora. The distribution of the bacterial flora of humans is shown in Table 1. This table lists only a fraction of the total bacterial species that occur as normal flora of humans, and it does not express the total number or concentration of bacteria at any site.

Answer 6

1

Answer 7

intestine needs to make a closed compartment for normal activity to do so its cells have to stick to each other tightly.the junctions make it so.further more they are polarized cells just like nerve cells (Apical And BasoLatteral faces).also they need to recruit some special receptors and Carrier protein on its specialized faces...

Answer 8

they're long. Bigger surface area allows more food to be absorbed. Have pits which allow secretion of enzymes.