Which portion of the small bowel follows the duodenum?

The correct response is the jejunum, which is the segment of the small intestine that follows the duodenum. The anatomy of the small intestine is organized into three main sections: the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum. Immediately after the duodenum, which is the first part of the small intestine that receives chyme from the stomach and is involved in the chemical digestion of food, the jejunum serves as the next section.

The jejunum is primarily responsible for the absorption of nutrients, such as carbohydrates and proteins, as it has a greater surface area compared to the other sections due to its numerous folds and villi. Following the jejunum is the ileum, which is responsible for the absorption of bile acids and vitamin B12, but it comes after the jejunum in the sequence of the small bowel.

The colon is part of the large intestine and is not a section of the small bowel, while the pylorus is part of the stomach that connects to the duodenum, not a part of the small intestine itself. Therefore, recognizing the anatomical order of the sections of the small intestine is crucial in identifying the relationship between these parts.