"The human digestive system consists of the gastrointestinal tract plus the accessory organs of digestion (the tongue, salivary glands, pancreas, liver, and gallbladder)."
This topic covers the structure and function of the digestive tract, including the different organs and their roles in breaking down food, absorbing nutrients, and eliminating waste.
Anatomy of the Digestive System: Anatomy of the digestive system involves the study of the structure and function of the organs, tissues, and cells that constitute the digestive system of the human body.
Physiology of the Digestive System: Physiology of the digestive system is the study of the functions of the digestive system, including the processes of digestion, absorption, and metabolism.
Digestive System Organs: Digestive system organs refer to the different organs that make up the digestive system, including the mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, liver, gallbladder, and pancreas.
Digestive System Processes: Digestive system processes refer to the stages through which food passes as it is being digested, absorbed, and metabolized by the digestive system.
Oral Cavity and Salivary Glands: Oral cavity and salivary glands play an important role in the process of digestion by breaking down food into smaller pieces and secreting enzymes that help in the digestive process.
Esophagus: The esophagus is a muscular tube that connects the throat and the stomach and propels food down to the stomach.
Stomach: The stomach is a muscular sac that serves as a reservoir for food and secretes digestive enzymes to break down food into chyme.
Small Intestine: The small intestine is a long, narrow tube that absorbs nutrients from the chyme through the intestinal wall and into the bloodstream.
Large Intestine: The large intestine is a muscular tube that reabsorbs water and electrolytes from undigested food, forming feces.
Liver and Gallbladder: The liver and gallbladder are important organs of the digestive system that store and release bile into the small intestine to aid in the digestion of fats.
Pancreas: The pancreas is an organ of the digestive system that releases digestive enzymes into the small intestine to break down carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.
Hormones of the Digestive System: Hormones play an important role in the regulation of the digestive system. They control the secretion of digestive enzymes, the movement of food through the digestive tract, and the absorption of nutrients.
Microbiome: The digestive system is home to many types of bacteria, known as the microbiome, which play a crucial role in the maintenance of gut health and digestion.
Diseases of the Digestive System: A variety of diseases can affect the digestive system, including inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, gastroesophageal reflux disease, and colorectal cancer.
Nutritional Management: Nutritional management is an essential aspect of digestive system health, as it involves the intake and absorption of nutrients needed for the proper functioning of the digestive system and overall health.
mouth: The mouth is the primary entry point for food and plays a crucial role in mechanical digestion through chewing and chemical digestion through the release of saliva.
esophagus: The esophagus is a muscular tube that connects the throat to the stomach, allowing food and liquids to be transported into the digestive system.
stomach: The stomach is a muscular organ located in the upper abdomen that plays a vital role in the digestion of food through the secretion of gastric juices.
small intestine: The small intestine is a long and narrow organ located between the stomach and large intestine, responsible for digestion and absorption of nutrients from food.
large intestine: The large intestine is the final segment of the digestive tract responsible for absorbing water and electrolytes, as well as forming and storing feces.
liver: The liver is a vital organ in the digestive system that performs various functions including detoxification, metabolism, nutrient storage, and bile production.
pancreas: The pancreas is a glandular organ located in the abdominal cavity that plays a crucial role in producing digestive enzymes and regulating blood sugar levels through the secretion of insulin and glucagon hormones.
rectum: The rectum is the final section of the large intestine that serves as a temporary storage unit for feces before elimination.
"Digestion involves the breakdown of food into smaller and smaller components, until they can be absorbed and assimilated into the body."
"The process of digestion has three stages: the cephalic phase, the gastric phase, and the intestinal phase."
"The first stage, the cephalic phase of digestion, begins with secretions from gastric glands in response to the sight and smell of food."
"This stage includes the mechanical breakdown of food by chewing, and the chemical breakdown by digestive enzymes, that takes place in the mouth."
"Saliva contains the digestive enzymes amylase and lingual lipase, secreted by the salivary and serous glands on the tongue."
"Chewing, in which the food is mixed with saliva, begins the mechanical process of digestion."
"This produces a bolus which is swallowed down the esophagus to enter the stomach."
"The second stage, the gastric phase, happens in the stomach. Here the food is further broken down by mixing with gastric acid until it passes into the duodenum, the first part of the small intestine."
"The third stage, the intestinal phase, begins in the duodenum. Here the partially digested food is mixed with a number of enzymes produced by the pancreas."
"Digestion is helped by the chewing of food carried out by the muscles of mastication, the tongue, and the teeth."
"Peristalsis is the rhythmic contraction of muscles that begins in the esophagus and continues along the wall of the stomach and the rest of the gastrointestinal tract. This initially results in the production of chyme which when fully broken down in the small intestine is absorbed as chyle into the lymphatic system."
"Most of the digestion of food takes place in the small intestine."
"Water and some minerals are reabsorbed back into the blood in the colon of the large intestine."
"The waste products of digestion (feces) are defecated from the rectum via the anus."