Ileum - Anatomy & Physiology

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Structure

• The ileum is the terminal portion of the small intestine.
• The boundary between the ileum and jejunum is arbitrarily distinguished by the position of the ileocaecal fold.
• It is more muscular and firmer than the jejunum.
• It terminates at the ileocaecocolic junction.

Function

• Mainly absorptive, much less digestion occurs than in the duodenum and jejunum.

Vasculature

• The cranial mesenteric artery supplies blood to the ileum.
• see jejunum

Histology

• Peyer's Patches, part of the mucosal associated lymphoid tissue (MALT), are present throughout the ileum and ileocaecal junction.
  • They contain B and T lymphocytes.
  • B lymphocytes exist in follicles.

Links

Pathology of the Small and Large Intestines