Rats fed a zinc-adequate diet exhibited a nonuniform distribution of zinc in the small intestine. The zinc content of zinc-deficient rat small intestine was reduced, particularly in the duodenum and distal ileum. It is possible that the difference in the intestinal zinc content may reflect the rate of zinc absorption in the tissue. Uptake of 65-Zn by intestinal segments in vitro showed that the pattern of absorption obtained is dependent upon the parameters used for quantitation. This observation could account for the variation between the results obtained by different experimental methods of determining the site and rate of absorption of the nutrient.