The digestive system’s primary function is to convert food into energy and convert waste into

excretable material. The digestive tract and its accompanying digestive organs are responsible for the
absorption and digestion of all digestible products. The digestive system sustains life via its ability to
relieve the body of its inability to provide nutrients for its systems, tissue, and bodily fluids. Without the
digestive system, all other systems would eventually fail to operate, fluids would either stop production
or dry up, and tissue would deteriorate.

Digestible product is utilized at the cellular level, which the digestive system readily prepares for cellular
use. Nutrients from food or other nutritious edible product are broken down and the remaining
nutrients are used for chemical reactions which allow cells throughout the body to reproduce, repair,
cellular division, cellular growth, heat production, energy production, and the synthesis of enzymes
which allow these functions to occur.

Food which is consumed by a human can not be used for cellular health until after it has been broken
down both mechanically and chemically for the use of meeting cellular needs. The broken down and
digested foods turn into nutrients which are then absorbed through the intestinal wall. The nutrients are
then transferred to the cells via the blood stream and delivered to the site of cells which are in need of
the nutrients. Food is not considered to be digested until after absorption, which applies to a small
percentage of food as most of the food eaten is never absorbed and is passed through the excretory
system. Only usable nutrients and chemicals are absorbed and brought to the appropriate cellular group
for nutritional function.

Ingestion is the process of eating. In reference to the digestive system, this typically means food
however it may include vitamin supplements, medications, and liquids.

Mastication is the process of mixing edible elements with saliva for the purposes of breaking the edible
elements down. This process typically involves chewing.

Deglutition refers to the process of moving edible elements from the mouth down through the
esophagus and into the stomach. Digestion is the process of breaking down the edible elements and
preparing them for absorption through the intestinal wall and use by the cells.

Absorption refers to the process of passing the broken down edible elements through the intestinal wall
into the blood stream where either blood cells or lymph cells retrieve the nutrients and carry them off
toward their destination.

Peristalsis is the action of processing waste, referring in particularly to the motion made by the intestinal
tract which resembles wave-like motions to help pass the solid waste through the intestines.

Defecation is the final process in the digestive system which removes solid waste product in the form of
fecal matter from the body.

The digestive system is generally divided into specific functional and anatomical groups that consist of
the digestive tract, the tubular gastrointestinal tract, and the accessory digestive organs. The tubular
gastrointestinal tract is one continuous tract, shaped for the most part in a cylinder that runs from the
mouth to the anus creating a pathway for food, nutrients, and waste. At 30 feet long, it traverses the
thoracic cavity and enters the abdominal cavity along the diaphragm and includes the oral cavity, thorax,
esophagus, stomach, small intestines, and large intestines. The accessory digestive organs, those which
are vital to the process but can not otherwise be classified, include the teeth, tongue, liver, salivary
glands, pancreas, and gallbladder.

Visceral organs were once meant to include the internal organs of the digestive tract which were related
to digestion. However over time visceral organs became known as any internal organ that is relative to
the thoracic cavity or the abdominal cavity.

Anywhere from 24 to 48 hours are likely to pass before food travels through the entire digestive tract.
The breakdown of edible material and therefore the breakdown of molecules with vital value to the
body’s cells, is done in the body’s own version of an assembly line. Nutritional value is removed from the
food on a molecular level and brought to the body’s cells for nutritional absorption.
Mouth

The mouth is the starting point in the digestive system. Both mechanical and
chemical digestion can occur here. The teeth grind food for mechanical digestions
while the salivary gland break down for chemically for chemical digestion.

Salivary Glands

The salivary glands release saliva. The saliva breaks down food chemically. You have
three major salivary glands. One on the top of your mouth, one on the bottom and
one that covers both sides. Saliva breaks up food using the enzyme salivary amylas

Esophagus (also Oesophagus)

The esophagus, a muscular tube through which partially digested food travels,
connects the mouth and the stomach. Food goes down the esophagus using
peristalsis, a pattern of muscular movements, contracting and expanding.

Stomach

The stomach's job is to break down large food molecules into smaller pieces, so that
they are more easily absorbed into the blood.

The stomach can give off two or three liters of gastric juices per day. This juice can
even destroy the inner liner of the stomach. This is why the inner lining of the
stomach is replaced every two to three days.

Liver, Pancreas, and Gallbladder

The liver puts bile into the small intestine through the biliary system, using the
gallbladder as a container to hold the extra bile.
The pancreas puts off a fluid containing bicarbonate and several juices, including
trypsin, chymotrypsin, lipase, and pancreatic amylase, as well as nucleolytic juices,
into the small intestine. Both these organs help in the process of digestion.

Small Intestine

The small intestine connects the stomach and the colon or large intestine. It has
three parts. They are the duodenum, jejunum, and the ileum. The walls of the small
intestine are lined with villi. Villi help absorb nutrients and put them into the blood.
This is the main purpose of the small intestine.

Large Intestine (Colon)

The large intestine is used to remove water from solid waste. It is 1.5 meters in length.
It also absorbs some vitamins such as vitamin k.

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/anatomy/digestive/
 Human Digestive System

The human digestive system is a complex series of organs and glands that processes
food. In order to use the food we eat, our body has to break the food down into
smaller molecules that it can process; it also has to excrete waste.

Most of the digestive organs (like the stomach and intestines) are tube-like and
contain the food as it makes its way through the body. The digestive system is
essentially a long, twisting tube that runs from the mouth to the anus, plus a few other
organs (like the liver and pancreas) that produce or store digestive chemicals.

The Digestive Process:

The start of the process - the mouth: The digestive process begins in the mouth.
Food is partly broken down by the process of chewing and by the chemical action of
salivary enzymes (these enzymes are produces by the salivary glands and break down
starches into smaller molecules).

On the way to the stomach: the esophagus - After being chewed and swallowed, the
food enters the esophagus. The esophagus is a long tube that runs from the mouth to
the stomach. It uses rhythmic, wave-like muscle movements (called peristalsis) to
force food from the throat into the stomach. This muscle movement gives us the
ability to eat or drink even when we're upside-down.

In the stomach - The stomach is a large, sack-like organ that churns the food and
bathes it in a very strong acid (gastric acid). Food in the stomach that is partly
digested and mixed with stomach acids is called chyme.

In the small intestine - After being in the stomach, food enters the duodenum, the
first part of the small intestine. It then enters the jejunum and then the ileum (the final
part of the small intestine). In the small intestine, bile (produced in the liver and stored
in the gall bladder), pancreatic enzymes, and other digestive enzymes produced by the
inner wall of the small intestine help in the breakdown of food.
In the large intestine - After passing through the small intestine, food passes into the
large intestine. In the large intestine, some of the water and electrolytes (chemicals
like sodium) are removed from the food. Many microbes (bacteria like Bacteroides,
Lactobacillus acidophilus, Escherichia coli, and Klebsiella) in the large intestine help
in the digestion process. The first part of the large intestine is called the cecum (the
appendix is connected to the cecum). Food then travels upward in the ascending
colon. The food travels across the abdomen in the transverse colon, goes back down
the other side of the body in the descending colon, and then through the sigmoid
colon.

The end of the process - Solid waste is then stored in the rectum until it is excreted
via the anus.

Digestive System Glossary:

anus - the opening at the end of the digestive system from which feces (waste) exits
the body.

appendix - a small sac located on the cecum.

ascending colon - the part of the large intestine that run upwards; it is located after the
cecum.

bile - a digestive chemical that is produced in the liver, stored in the gall bladder, and
secreted into the small intestine.

cecum - the first part of the large intestine; the appendix is connected to the cecum.

chyme - food in the stomach that is partly digested and mixed with stomach acids.
Chyme goes on to the small intestine for further digestion.

descending colon - the part of the large intestine that run downwards after the
transverse colon and before the sigmoid colon.

duodenum - the first part of the small intestine; it is C-shaped and runs from the
stomach to the jejunum.

epiglottis - the flap at the back of the tongue that keeps chewed food from going down
the windpipe to the lungs. When you swallow, the epiglottis automatically closes.
When you breathe, the epiglottis opens so that air can go in and out of the windpipe.

esophagus - the long tube between the mouth and the stomach. It uses rhythmic
muscle movements (called peristalsis) to force food from the throat into the stomach.

gall bladder - a small, sac-like organ located by the duodenum. It stores and releases
bile (a digestive chemical which is produced in the liver) into the small intestine.

ileum - the last part of the small intestine before the large intestine begins.

jejunum - the long, coiled mid-section of the small intestine; it is between the
duodenum and the ileum.

liver - a large organ located above and in front of the stomach. It filters toxins from
the blood, and makes bile (which breaks down fats) and some blood proteins.

mouth - the first part of the digestive system, where food enters the body. Chewing
and salivary enzymes in the mouth are the beginning of the digestive process
(breaking down the food).

pancreas - an enzyme-producing gland located below the stomach and above the
intestines. Enzymes from the pancreas help in the digestion of carbohydrates, fats and
proteins in the small intestine.

peristalsis - rhythmic muscle movements that force food in the esophagus from the
throat into the stomach. Peristalsis is involuntary - you cannot control it. It is also
what allows you to eat and drink while upside-down.

rectum - the lower part of the large intestine, where feces are stored before they are
excreted.

salivary glands - glands located in the mouth that produce saliva. Saliva contains
enzymes that break down carbohydrates (starch) into smaller molecules.

sigmoid colon - the part of the large intestine between the descending colon and the
rectum.

stomach - a sack-like, muscular organ that is attached to the esophagus. Both

chemical and mechanical digestion takes place in the stomach. When food enters the
stomach, it is churned in a bath of acids and enzymes.

transverse colon - the part of the large intestine that runs horizontally across the
abdomen.

The Digestive  
 

System
 

The main purpose of the Digestive system is to break down food and absorb nutrients.
There are two basic divisions to the digestive system; these are the gastrointestinal
(GI) tract, also known as the alimentary canal, and the accessory digestive organs.
Your mouth, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, small intestine and large intestine
compose the GI tract, and your teeth, tongue, salivary glands, liver, gall bladder and
pancreas are accessory organs.

The digestive system carries out six basic processes:

ingestion

secretion

propulsion

digestion

absorption

defecation
Ingestion is taking food into the mouth.

Secretion is the act of expelling a liquid. The cells lining the GI tract secrete about 9
liters (9.5 quarts) of water, acid, buffers, and enzymes each day to lubricate the canal
and aid in the process of digestion.

Propulsion consists of alternating contraction and relaxation of smooth muscle in the

walls of the GI tract to squeeze food downwards.

Digestion has two parts, mechanical and chemical. Mechanical digestion is chewing
up the food and your stomach and smooth intestine churning the food, while chemical
digestion is the work the enzymes do when breaking large carbohydrate, lipid, protein
and nucleic acid molecules down into their subcomponents -these and others are the
nutrients-.

Absorption occurs in the digestive system when the nutrients move from the
gastrointestinal tract to the blood or lymph.

Defecation is the process of expelling what the body couldn't use.

For more detailed descriptions of digestive organs with pictures, go to

http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/biology/humananatomy/index.shtml

"Infection or irritation of the digestive tract, particularly the stomach and intestines, frequently gets
labeled as gastroenteritis. Major symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps. It is
frequently the result of poor sanitation or contaminated food. It is an uncomfortable ailment, but is
rarely life threatening. For more information on the anatomy and physiology of acute gastroenteritis,
check out the following link: http://www.scribd.com/doc/8358289/Acute-Gastroenteritis ."