Overview Key Parts Mouth Stomach Small Intestine Large Intestine Pancreas Liver

Mouth Job: Break Down Food for Easier Digestion. How: Enzyme in saliva (amylase) breaks down starch to complex sugar. Teeth, tongue, saliva- tear, mix moisten food ESOPHAGUS-connects mouth to stomach- peristalsis-contraction of muscles to move the food.

Esophagus JOB: Move Food Down to Stomach How: Peristalsis Muscle contract in a “wave” like motion. Pushes down food or liquid. This is why we can drink upside down.

Stomach Job: Digest Food Super Acidic pH acid-HCl or a pH of about one Cells secrete gastric juices includes enzymes to break down food Churns food for maximum digestions. Similar to a dryer. Just less spinning.

Small Intestine Job: Food absorbs into the blood stream here. Finish Breaking Down Proteins, Fats, and Carbs. How: Protein digestion is completed by proteinases (an enzyme) Lipases break fats to fatty acids and glycerol Food is absorbed into the blood stream from here. That’s why the small intestine is so long. Here is where you vitamins, minerals, water, goes into the blood stream.

Its Called the Small intestine. But its actually really Long!!!!

Large Intestine Job: Stores Waste until it is eliminated Reabsorb water from waste Absorb certain vitamins How Reabsorption of water, collection of undigested wastes, and maintains the fluid balance of the body Bacteria break down things like lettuce to get vitamin’s out – A, B and K Connected to the rectum and anus. That is an excretory system process.

Pancreas Job: Secrete most our digestive enzymes How: secretes enzymes into small intestine. Break Down Proteins. Break Down Fats Break Down Carbs

Liver Job: Lots of them. And a big player in many organ systems. Digestive system job: Secretes bile that ends up back in the intestines. Bile is used to digest fats in small intestine Other jobs: Filter the blood coming from the digestive tract, before passing it to the rest of the body. Detoxifies chemicals and metabolizes drugs.

Just what does the liver do? Manufacture (synthesize) proteins, including albumin (to help maintain the volume of blood) and blood clotting factorsalbumin Synthesize, store, and process (metabolize) fats, including fatty acids (used for energy) and cholesterol cholesterol Metabolize and store carbohydrates, which are used as the source for the sugar (glucose) in blood that red blood cells and the brain use Form and secrete bile that contains bile acids to aid in the intestinal absorption (taking in) of fats and the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K.vitamins A, D, E, and K. Eliminate, by metabolizing and/or secreting, the potentially harmful biochemical products produced by the body, such as bilirubin from the breakdown of old red blood cells and ammonia from the breakdown of proteinsbilirubin Detoxify, by metabolizing and/or secreting, drugs, alcohol, and environmental toxins

Friendly intestinal bacteria (Microflora) is needed to: Reduce cholesterol in the blood. Detoxify hazardous chemicals added to foods, such as nitrates. Produce certain necessary digestive enzymes. Control the pH factor or acidity-alkaline levels in the intestines. Help in eliminating bad breath and gas. Reduce high blood pressure. Assist in elimination of ailments such a colon irritation, constipation, diarrhea and acne. Retard yeast infections. Strengthen the immune system. Manufacture and assimilate B complex (which includes niacin, biotin, folic acid, riboflavin and B12). Help digest proteins, carbohydrates and fats. Increase calcium assimilation. Produce natural anti-bacterial agents (antibiotics) which inhibit 23 known pathogens. Produce cancer or tumor suppressing compounds. Help alleviate anxiety and stress. Retard proliferation of vaginitis, flu or herpes. Reduce unhealthy bacteria in the intestinal tract. Detoxify poisonous materials in the diet.