Does the small intestine just sit in a pile at the bottom of the abdominal cavity like my doctor told me?

Question

We're on friendly terms, but she may have been pulling my leg. I can't tell and it seems like the sm. intestine would have to be maintained in place someway.

Answer 1

The small intestine is quite an active organ, and rarely "just sits there". So your friend is pulling your leg a little, but only by oversimplifying.

The small intestine is located between the stomach and the large intestine in the GI tract. Its purpose is to continue digestion and absorb nutrients from the food that we eat. To break down food, the small intestine has numerous enzymes that target specific items in our diet. In addition there is a small mechanical component, called peristalsis that primarily moves the food from the stomach to the colon (large intestine, but it also helps to further break down the already small chucks of food that the stomach passes on.

To imagine the small intestine, take a vacuum cleaner hose and lay it on a piece of plywood. Place a towel or bed sheet on top. Now grab the hose and lift it so the edges of the towel just touch the plywood. Have someone else staple the free edges down. Now lift the plywood so that it is vertical. The towel or sheet represents the attachment of the small intestine called the mesentery. It tethers the small intestine to the back wall of the abdominal cavity, but still allows it to move in a restricted manner. It also keeps the bowel from just falling to the bottom of the abdomen.

During surgery, we will often move the majority of the bowel out of the abdomen so that we can reach structures on the back wall of the abdominal cavity, or to reach the attachment points themselves. When the bowel is put back, the mesentery prevents the bowel from becoming knotted, so all we have to do is slide the bowel back in, no special placement is required.

Answer 2

Imagine intestine as a small short tube held in place by a membrane covering on all sides and the membrane covering the tube joins to form two thin indistinguishable layers to form a single "mesentery". Now imagine the tube lengthened upto seven meters. The convoluted intestine to stay in abdomen and to constantly churn food must settle somewhere. But small intestine almost always moves from proximal to distal end and the movements are called peristalsis

Answer 3

From what I've been told they grow and can them in Iowa, but I can't be really sure as I've never seen a canned Yam. And I never cease to be amazed at what intellectual facts I learn from my contacts on Yahoo Answers. By the way, It's always been my life long dream to see a yam.. Ahhh, maybe some day...

Answer 4

It is held in place by a membrane but they're not particularily careful when they put it back after surgery from what I have heard. It did grow in a particular fashion though so it's not like it's just mushed up and moving around down there.

Answer 5

I suppose she is partly correct, but there are a few supporting ligaments like the ligament of Treitz and the mesentery.

Answer 6

See the Mesentery.