Word parts
What it means
The second of the three parts of the small bowel, about 2.5 meters (8 feet) long. Most nutrients are absorbed here, through millions of tiny finger-like folds (villi) in its lining. A jejunostomy tube (J-tube) placed into the jejunum is used for tube feeding when food cannot go into the stomach.
For the nurse
Feedings through a J-tube are given slowly and continuously by pump, not as a large bolus, because the jejunum cannot hold a large volume at once.
At a glance
| Spanish | yeyuno |
|---|---|
| Also written | jejunal |
Related terms
gastrointestinal
Having to do with the stomach and intestines, or with the whole digestive tract from the mouth to the anus.
enter/o
A word part that means intestine, usually the small intestine.