Used mainly in medical or biological contexts, not in everyday conversation.

Medical Term

Don't confuse 'ileum' with 'ileus', which refers to intestinal blockage.

Not Ileus

Remember that the ileum is the third part of the small intestine, after the duodenum and jejunum.

Part of Series

 decided, forget common practice. We have to switch. So they actually switched to leaving some of the microbial community in the ileum. They leave the microbes with the donor, and theoretically that might help the people who are receiving this ileal transplant.

Jonathan Eisen: Meet...

 The enzymes also carry out the final deconstruction of proteins into amino acids and carbohydrates into glucose. This happens in the small intestine's lower regions, the jejunum and ileum, which are coated in millions of tiny projections called villi.

Ileum