The villi are small but significant structures of the mucosal layer of the small intestine. They are finger-like (or hair-like) projections, 0.5 to 1mm in length, that cover the mucosal surface and increase its absorptive area. Each villus contains a capillary network, a lymphatic vessel, and smooth muscle fibers. The villi are covered with absorptive cells that have cytoplasmic extensions known as microvilli; the microvilli serve to further increase the absorptive surface. The total increase in absorptive surface provided by the villi and microvilli is some 600-fold. The microvilli form what is known as the brush border; the cells that make up the brush border contain many enzymes and carrier substances that facilitate the digestion and absorption of nutrients.
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