Microvilli: The Intestinal Brush Border

A close-up view of the small intestine’s brush border, formed by dense arrays of microvilli on the surface of absorptive cells called enterocytes. These actin-supported projections increase the cell’s membrane surface area, where transport proteins and digestive enzymes support nutrient uptake and the final stages of digestion.

An underwater-inspired environment evokes the fluid setting of the intestinal lumen. The flowing effect is a visual interpretation; microvilli are surface projections, not beating cilia.