The intestines are held in place by a pair of membranes called the mesenteries (1). The mesenteric arteries run between these parallel membranes, and give rise to a vast number of tiny arteries (2) that take blood to the jejunum and ileum. These in turn break up into the thousands of arterioles that supply the villi and help to absorb food.
Near the base of the mesenteries is a row of white, fatty-looking bumps. These are lymph nodes on the lymph ducts that drain the lacteals. Since you take so much foreign material into your gut, it makes sense that you should have a strong line of defense against any invading microorganisms that might escape the digestive processes.
Click here to see a close-up of the mesentery.
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