small intestine

Question
in biology class, we had a worksheet that said that we(humans) CAN NOT live without our small intestine. I said that we can, but only if we had a "bag" put in place of the small intestine to break down(although only being on a liquid diet). She then said "Tell me how, then, do you get your nutrients." So... I looked it up. After putting together the info that i collected, i went back to her and said that we would simply drink something like a protein drink with amino acids that the stomach can transport to the blood. She then asked how we would get carbs. I said that we would drick complex carbs, such as glucose, fructose, and galactose. She said to elaborate. Here I am stuck and need you expert help. Please help me.     Thanks in advance,
                Jake 12/6/07


Answer
Jake, your teacher is right.   The small intestine is where all of our nutrients get absorbed into the body.  The thin membrane is designed for easy passage of broken-down nutrients to filter right across, directly into the blood stream, to be transported to the liver, and then the rest of the body.
The stomach is more of a processing facility, which mechanically and chemically helps to break the large food particles into smaller pieces that your body can use.   The stomach does have some absorptive properties, but the vast majority of absorption takes place in the small intestine.   
I'm not quite sure what you meant when you said if we had a "bag" put in place of the small intestine, but you would still need some type of filtration device that permeates the membranes and allows direct access to the blood stream.
One more thing:   glucose, fructose and galactose are not complex carbs (as you stated above).  They are simple carbs---carbs in the smallest form found in nature.  
I do credit you however, with having an inquisitive mind, and there is nothing wrong with challenging teachers---that shows that you have a mind for science, and want to understand it.  However, make sure that you always have support/evidence for your suggestions in order to back up your theories-- it just makes your suggestions more credible.  That way, a teacher can't prove you wrong!
Sounds like you are having a great time in biology class.   Keep up the good work, and that's great that you are thinking "outside the box".  

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