Both Paneth cells and Peyer’s patches are more numerous in the ileum than in the jejunum or the duodenum. Which statement below correctly describes why that may be?

• A. The ileum is adjacent to the large intestine where there are high levels of intestinal microbes.
• B. The ileum is responsible for absorbing any remaining nutrients not absorbed by the jejunum.
• C. The ileum has the highest pH of any region of the small intestine.
• D. The intestinal folds and villi are relatively smaller in the ileum than in the duodenum and jejunum.