The substance secreted by the liver and stored in the gall bladder and released into the small intestines for the emulsification of fats is bile.
From the duodenum, the food passes through the next two parts of the small intestines, the jejunum and the ileum. The process by which food moves through the intestines (peristalsis) is made possible by involuntary wavelike contractions of the smooth muscles in the intestinal wall.
The small intestines is where the majority of absorption takes place. The nutrients are absorbed into tiny lymph vessels called lacteals, and are passed to a larger vein, the portal vein, to the liver. The liver breaks down any toxins that may be present and prepares the nutrients for release into the bloodstream. The bloodstream carries the nutrients to every cell in the body, where they are used for energy and for tissue building and repair.
The sphincter valve located between the small intestines and the large intestines (colon) is known as the _____________.