Rat Jejunum Tissue
In this section, the digital image is a three-dimensional reconstruction of rat jejunum tissue stained with Alexa Fluor 350 (wheat germ agglutinin; highlighting lectins), Alexa Fluor 568 (phalloidin; labeling actin filaments), and SYTOX Green (nuclei). The jejunum's inner surface, its mucous membrane, is covered in villi, which increase the surface area of tissue available to absorb nutrients. Inside of this small intestine section are several large circular folds called plicae circulars, which increase the surface area for nutrient absorption.