Intestine microvilli, coloured transmission electron micrograph (TEM). Epithelial cells from the intestine absorb nutrients from digested food. Increasing the surface area of these cells allows for this absorption to be more efficient. The surface area of the cells is increased by the cells being covered in microvilli which are long finger-like projections which form a brush border. Surrounding the microvilli is the glycocalyx. This is a sticky layer comprised of glycoproteins and glycolipids. Magnification: x28000 when printed at 10cm wide.