in the small intestine the products of digestion are absorbed by both diffusion and... what?

In the small intestine, the products of digestion are absorbed by both diffusion and active transport (including carrier-mediated and co- transport mechanisms).

Quick Scoop

• Many small molecules (like some lipids) move into intestinal cells simply by diffusion down their concentration gradient.

• Most key nutrients (such as glucose, amino acids, and many ions) need active transport, which uses membrane carriers and cellular energy to move them against a gradient.

• Textbooks often summarize this by saying that absorption occurs by diffusion, facilitated diffusion, and active transport, but exam-style questions usually pair “diffusion and active transport” as the expected answer.

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