Ileum - Differences Between Jejunum and Ileum

Differences Between Jejunum and Ileum

There is no line of demarcation between the jejunum and the ileum. There are, however, subtle differences between the two.

• The ileum has more fat inside the mesentery than the jejunum
• The ileum has a mesenteric and an anti-mesenteric vascular supply, while the jejunum has only a mesenteric vasculature
• While the length of the intestinal tract contains lymphoid tissue, only the ileum has abundant Peyer's patches, unencapsulated lymphoid nodules that contain large numbers of lymphocytes and other cells of the immune system.