Glucose is absorbed by Na+/glucose symporter into the intestinal epithelial cells.
Symporter is located on the apical membrane of the intestinal epithelial cell and it is used for uptake of glucose from the intestinal lumen into the cell (against the concentration gradient). One glucose molecule and two Na+ enter the cell via symporter. Na+ concentration gradient and the membrane potential (generated from the Na+/K+ ATPase in the basolateral membrane) enable the function of the symporter. Glucose leaves the cell via facilitated diffusion on the basolateral membrane of the intestinal epithelial cell and goes into the blood.
