After food is chewed and swallowed, it travels through the esophagus to the stomach. There
it is partly broken down and then sent to the small intestine, also known as the small bowel. It
is called small because it is narrower than the large intestine (colon and rectum), but actually
the small intestine is the longest segment of the digestive system -- about 20 feet. The small
intestine continues breaking down the food and absorbs most of the nutrients.