Question

Celiac disease is a disease that affects the digestive system. When people with the disease eat foods containing gluten, a material found in wheat products, their immune system damages or destroys their villi. What are villi and why are they important? How might the lack of a villi affect a person's digestive process?

Answer 1

Villi are elongated projections on the surface of the digestive system to increase surface area and allow for more nutrient absorption. The lack of villi would considerably slow down how much is being absorbed from the food, leading to a lesser amount of energy created.

Answer 2

The small intestine contains small finger-like projections of tissue called villi which increase the surface area of the intestine and contain specialized cells that transport substances into the bloodstream. Although these villi do not aid in the digestion of nutrients, they do help with nutrient absorption.

When people with Celiac Disease eat foods or use products containing gluten, their immune system responds by damaging or destroying villi—the tiny, fingerlike protrusions lining the small intestine. Villi normally allow nutrients from food to be absorbed through the walls of the small intestine into the bloodstream.