The Digestive system by: Nolan Sowell

What is the digestive system? The digestive system is a group of organs working together to convert food into energy basic nutrients to feed the entire body.

How does it work? There are six major functions take place in the digestive system 1: ingestion 2: secretion 3: mixing and movement 4: digestion 5: Absorption 6: Excretion

What allows it to happen? Food passes through along inside the body known as the alimentary canal or the or the gastrointestinal tract. The alimentary canal is made up of the oral cavity, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, intestines, large intestine. In addition to the alimentary canal, there are several important accessory organs that help your body to digest food but do not have food pass through them. Accessory organs: teeth, tongue, salivary glands, liver, gallbladder and pancreas.

What everything is and does The Pharynx: the pharynx, or throat is a funnel shaped tube connected to the posterior end of the mouth to the esophagus. It allows food to get carried down into the other parts of the digestive system. Esophagus: the esophagus is a muscular tube connecting the pharynx to the stomach to the upper gastrointestinal track. It keeps food from going down the windpipe. Small intestine: is a long thin tube about 1 inch in diameter and about 10 feet long that Is part of the lower gastrointestinal tract. It digests 90% of food and the other 10% is by the stomach and large intestine.

Large intestine: it is a long thick tube about 2 Large intestine: it is a long thick tube about 2.5 inches in diameter and about 5 feet long. It dissolves water and contains many symbiotic bacteria that aid in the breaking down of waste to extract small amounts of nutrients. Liver: is a roughly triangular accessory organ of the digestive system located to the right of the right of the stomach, just inferior to the diaphragm and superior to the small intestine. The liver produces proteins. Stomach: is a muscle sac that is located on the left side of the abdominal cavity, just inferior of the diaphragm. It receives food from the esophagus and then will digest the food. Gallbladder: it is a small pear shaped organ just located posterior to the liver. Its used to store energy.

Pancreas: it is a large gland located just inferior and posterior to the stomach. It is about 6 inches long and shaped like a leaf. The pancreas secretes digestive enzymes into the small intestine to complete the digestion of food, and insulin is produced to help secrete this food. Teeth: the teeth are 32 small, hard organs found along the anterior and lateral edges of the mouth. They help break down food so you can swallow it. Tongue: is located on the interior portion of the mouth just posterior and medial to the teeth. It is a small organ made up of several muscles. Thousands of taste buds cover the surface of the papillae. Papillae are little bumps that give the tongue its texter. Salivary Glands: surrounding the mouth are 3 sets of salivary glands. Salivary glands are the accessory organs that produce a watery secretion known as saliva that breaks down food.

Step #1 ingestion The first function of the digestive system is ingestion, or the intake of food. The food enters the mouth then will get broken down by teeth and saliva

Step #2 secretion Saliva, mucus, hydrochloric acid and enzymes breaks down over 7 litres of fluids per day. Hydrochloric acids help protect the body by killing bacteria in our food. Enzymes break down large proteins, carbohydrate and lipids into their smaller components.

Step #3 Mixing and Movement Swallowing-food will travel down the pharynx into the esophagus. Peristalsis-the food will travel from the esophagus to the stomach and the intestines and then reach the end of the Gl tract.

Step #4 Digestion Digestion is the part where food we eat will get broken down into small chemicals that give us humans energy to do things we love. We first chew the food, then it travels through the pharynx then to the stomach and the intestines. Bile produced by the liver helps break down fats into smaller globules. The food will get broken down into proteins, carbohydrates, lipids and nucleic acid in this process.

Step #5 absorption Once the food is broken down fully the body is ready to take all the little proteins, carbohydrates, lipids and nucleic acid to all the functioning parts to are body so they can run properly.

Step #6 Excretion The final function of the digestive system is excretion of waste in the process known as defecating. Defecating removes indigestible substance from our body to out of our body so it wont get clogged and we would be able to keep eating for ever and ever.

Sites I used Notes WWW>innernody.com Google