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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2022 May 2.
Published in final edited form as: Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2022 Jan 12;19(5):283–296. doi: 10.1038/s41575-021-00561-y

Fig. 1 |. Static mechanical properties of the gut wall.

Fig. 1 |

a | An oblique view to show the layers needed to understand the composite nature of the wall. b | Longitudinal cross-section showing a different view of the laminated structure and enteric nervous system organization. The layers closest to the lumen are under a constant state of compression, whereas those further away are in a state of tension (stretch). The four layers of the gut wall are identified in both cross-sections for orientation. c | Experiments to determine residual strain (BOX 3) and other passive mechanical properties of the gut wall. A radial cut on a gut segment causes it to open. Some segments have small opening angles (left) and others turn completely ‘inside out’ (right). The opening angle correlates with the balance of compression and tension between the tissue layers.