Generation of intestinal surface: an absorbing tale

The vertebrate small intestine requires an enormous surface area to effectively absorb nutrients from food. Morphological adaptations required to establish this extensive surface include generation of an extremely long tube and convolution of the absorptive surface of the tube into villi and microvilli. In this Review, we discuss recent findings regarding the morphogenetic and molecular processes required for intestinal tube elongation and surface convolution, examine shared and unique aspects of these processes in different species, relate these processes to known human maladies that compromise absorptive function and highlight important questions for future research.