Crypts of Lieberkühn

The crypts of Lieberkühn (or intestinal glands) are glands found in the epithelial lining of the small intestine and colon. Named after the 18th-century German anatomist Johann Nathanael Lieberkühn, the crypts secrete various enzymes, including sucrase and maltase. Loss of proliferation control in the crypts is thought to lead to colorectal cancer.