Translations:Gastrointestinal tract/17/en
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
Mucosa
The mucosa is the innermost layer of the gastrointestinal tract. The mucosa surrounds the lumen, or open space within the tube. This layer comes in direct contact with digested food (chyme). The mucosa is made up of:
- Epithelium – innermost layer. Responsible for most digestive, absorptive and secretory processes.
- Lamina propria – a layer of connective tissue. Unusually cellular compared to most connective tissue
- Muscularis mucosae – a thin layer of smooth muscle that aids the passing of material and enhances the interaction between the epithelial layer and the contents of the lumen by agitation and peristalsis