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The small bowel

The small bowel (small intestine) is a long tube that absorbs nutrients from food and carries food between your stomach and large bowel (colon).

The small bowel has three parts:

  • duodenum – the first section of the small bowel; receives broken-down food from the stomach
  • jejunum – the middle section of the small bowel
  • ileum – the final and longest section of the small bowel; transfers waste matter to the large bowel.

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This information is reviewed by

This information was last reviewed February 2021 by the following expert content reviewers: Prof David Goldstein, Medical Oncologist, Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney, NSW; Craig Lynch, Colorectal Surgeon, Sydney Adventist Hospital, Sydney; Caitriona Nienaber, 13 11 20 Consultant, Cancer Council WA; Wayne Reynolds, Consumer; Dr Stephen Thompson, Radiation Oncologist, Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney, NSW.