Churned food travels from the stomach into the long, convoluted small intestine. The first section is 12" long and its name, duodenum, means "12 each". The next two sections, jejunum and ileum, are a combined 5 meters long. Millions of finger-like projections called villi cover the intestinal lining and provide an enormous surface area for absorbing nutrients, which pass into the bloodstream to feed your body's cells.