Why is it called duodenum?

In our abdomen, one of the most important organs besides the stomach is the intestine. Medically speaking, the intestine is also divided into different components. For example, the duodenum has a rather strange name, and many people don’t quite understand why it has such a name. In fact, in medicine, the name of the duodenum has a origin and is not just a random name. So why is it called the duodenum?

1. Origin of the name of the duodenum

The origin of the name of the duodenum: The food people eat first enters the stomach through the esophagus, and then comes to the thickest part of the small intestine - the duodenum. How long is the duodenum? About 30 centimeters. In the past, people believed that this length was equivalent to the width of 12 fingers placed side by side, hence the name.

However, if we do the math and divide 30 centimeters by 12, the width of a finger should be 2.5 centimeters, which is quite thick. Some people may think that this is probably calculated based on the thumb of foreigners.

In fact, the original meaning of the English word "dozen" is a dozen, 12 pieces, and it also means "twelve inches long". One inch is about 2.5 centimeters, so this is the correct calculation. In other words, duodenum originally meant "twelve-inch intestine". In order to make it easier for people to understand when translating, "finger" was used instead of "inch", and later on, the mistake was left alone.

2. The role of the duodenum

The duodenum is located between the stomach and the jejunum. The length of the duodenum in adults is 20 to 25 cm.

It is 4 to 5 cm long and is close to the posterior abdominal wall. It is the shortest, largest, deepest and most fixed segment of the small intestine. Both the pancreatic duct and the common bile duct open into the duodenum. Therefore, it receives the infusion of gastric juice, pancreatic juice and bile, so the digestive function of the duodenum is very important.

3. Causes of duodenal disease

Why is it called the duodenum?

3.1. The invasive effects of gastric acid and pepsin and their influencing factors: The invasive effects of gastric acid and pepsin, especially the effects of gastric acid, play a major role in ulcer formation.

3.2. Factors that weaken the protective effect of the mucosa: destruction of the mucus-mucosal barrier. Under normal circumstances, the gastric mucosa is covered with mucus secreted by its epithelium. The mucus, the lipoprotein layer of the intact epithelial cell membrane and the intercellular connections form a line of defense called the mucus-mucosal barrier.

3.3. From the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine: It is believed that the diet may lead to liver qi stagnation and heat transformation, and coldness in the middle burner. This can be understood as irregular eating, overeating, long-term drinking, etc., which lead to problems with the digestive system, or poor spirits and mood swings, which lead to liver qi stagnation.