Duodenum

In biology, the duodenum is a hollow jointed tube that connects the stomach to the jejunum and therefore forms part of the gastrointestinal tract, or digestive system. It is the first part of the small intestine, and is about 18 cm (7 in) long. It starts with the duodenal bulb and ends at the ligament of Treitz[?]. Two very important ducts open into the duodenum, namely the bile duct and the pancreatic duct[?].

The duodenum is divided into three sections:

• descending duodenum
• horizontal duodenum
• ascending duodenum

The next part of the gastrointestinal tract is the jejunum.

The name duodenum is from the Latin duodenum digitorum, twelve fingers' breadths or inches.