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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2019 Mar 26.
Published in final edited form as: Nat Rev Immunol. 2016 Aug 8;16(10):639–649. doi: 10.1038/nri.2016.88

Figure 1 |. A general overview of the mucus protection in small intestine and colon.

Figure 1 |

In the small intestine the mucus is not attached and forms a diffusion barrier with antibacterial products that limit penetration by bacteria. In colon bacteria are compartmentalized to the outer loose mucus layer while the inner attached layer is almost free of bacteria and protect the epithelium.