Study Finds Surface Area of Human Digestive Tract is 30 to 40 Square Meters

Posted on April 27, 2014

A new study has found that the surface area of the human digestive tract is about 30 to 40 square meters, much less than previously thought. Previous studies put the internal surface area of the gastro-intestinal tract at between 180 and 300 square meters, which is about the size of a tennis court or larger. Scientists Lars Fandriks and Herbert Helander at the Sahlgrenska Academy used refined microscopic techniques that indicate a much smaller area.

Fandriks and Helander say in their research paper that a lot of textbooks have it wrong, They write, "The total area of the human adult gut mucosa is not in the order of tennis lawn, rather is that of half a badminton court."

Scientist Lars Fandriks says in a statement, "Actually, the inner surface of the gastro-intestinal tract is only as large as a normal studio apartment."

The small intestine makes up most of the surface area. The area of the large intestine is approximately 2 square meters, while the mouth, esophagus and stomach amount to less than 1 square meter.

Fandriks also says, "It may appear to be simply a curious fact, but the dimensions of the inner surface of the gastro-intestinal tract are important for the uptake of nutrients and drugs, and the new information will help us understand how the mucous membrane protects the body from harmful factors in the intestinal contents."

Helander explains how the previously erroneous results were calculated. He says, "The gastro-intestinal tract is a dynamic system that is difficult to access in the abdominal cavity, and this makes it difficult to measure. Since the past measurements were carried out either during post mortems or during abdominal surgery, when the tissue is relaxed, it is easy to obtain misleading measurements."

The research paper, "Surface area of the digestive tract – revisited," was published here in the Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology.

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