Home/Topics/General Medical Terms/intestinal villi General Medical Terms Digestive System & Nutrition intestinal villi Listen Save Share Print Meaning of intestinal villi: Tiny hair-like projections that line the inside of the small intestine. Definition of intestinal villi Tiny hair-like projections that line the inside of the small intestine. They contain blood vessels and help absorb nutrients. Written and maintained by James Murray · Last updated July 21, 2026 Educational reference, not medical advice. Read the limitations. Keep exploringRelated termsMore in General Medical Terms → Diseases & Disorders Crohn disease Full-thickness, patchy inflammation is what separates it from ulcerative colitis, and it explains the fistulas and narrowings that follow. Read definition → Symptoms, Signs & Side Effects diarrhea Duration does much of the diagnostic work, separating a short lived infection from a long standing problem inside the gut. Read definition → Laboratory, Pathology & Biomarkers aspartate transaminase A raised result announces that cells somewhere have been damaged without saying which cells, which is why it is never read alone. Read definition → Procedures & Surgery colonoscopy The only bowel test that both finds a polyp and removes it, which is why it prevents cancer rather than merely detecting it. Read definition →
Diseases & Disorders Crohn disease Full-thickness, patchy inflammation is what separates it from ulcerative colitis, and it explains the fistulas and narrowings that follow. Read definition →
Symptoms, Signs & Side Effects diarrhea Duration does much of the diagnostic work, separating a short lived infection from a long standing problem inside the gut. Read definition →
Laboratory, Pathology & Biomarkers aspartate transaminase A raised result announces that cells somewhere have been damaged without saying which cells, which is why it is never read alone. Read definition →
Procedures & Surgery colonoscopy The only bowel test that both finds a polyp and removes it, which is why it prevents cancer rather than merely detecting it. Read definition →