Digestive System

In your journal: For each system you will need: – Systems Main Function & Organs – Main Problems & Disease – How to Best Care for this system – Recent Findings & How it Interact with other systems

Main Organs Where does digestion begin? Teeth – hold, tear, chew foods Salivary glands – secretes juices into mouth Tongue – moves food mass to back of mouth Esophagus – passageway Stomach – churns food & adds gastric juices Small intestines – absorbs nutrients Liver – produces digestive juice (bile) Pancreas – adds more digestive juice for breakdown Gall bladder – stores bile until needed, secrets into SI Large intestines – stores unused solid, water is absorbed here Rectum – holds solid waste, controls release

Digestion time varies depending on the individual. For most healthy adults, it's usually between 24 and 72 hours. After you eat, it takes about six to eight hours for food to pass through your stomach and small intestine. Elimination of undigested food residue through the large intestine usually begins after a total of 24 hours. Complete elimination from the body may take several days.

Main Functions Break Down of food (mechanical & chemical) Absorption of nutrients Elimination of waste

Function: of Digestion The Breakdown of food into basic building blocks (nutrients) Mechanical: chewing & churning Chemical: digestive juices Mouth (carbohydrates) Stomach (proteins) Small Intestine (fats)

Parts of the Digestive system Teeth Salivary Glands Esophagus Stomach Liver Gallbladder Pancreas Small Intestine Large Intestine (Colon) Rectum Anus

Mouth Teeth:  Mechanical breakdown of foods Salivary Glands:  Chemical breakdown of carbohydrates (starches & sugars)

Stomach Gastric Juices breakdown proteins: 1. Hydrochloric acid 2. Pepsin (enzyme that digests protein) Smooth Muscles in walls churn food to make Chyme: Creamy mixture of food and gastric juices entrance of stomach, prevents food from backing up

Liver Bile: Greenish fluid breaks down Fats 1. made in Liver 2. stored in Gallbladder Also changes toxins (poisons) into harmless substances. Examples of Body’s Toxins 1. Poisonous Foods, Plants, Animals 2. Alcohol & Drugs (including medicines (ibuprofen…)

`Pancreas Produces: 1. Insulin – a hormone that metabolizes sugars in the blood 2. Digestive Enzymes - for fats and proteins

Small Intestine feet long…and…1 inch in diameter Villi: finger-like projections in the walls of the small intestine lined with capillaries (smallest vessels in the circulatory system). 1. Major digestion of fats 2. All undigested food is broken down 3. Most nutrients absorbed

Large Intestine 5-6 feet long…and …2-3 inches in diameter Last Chance!! Final nutrients pass into the blood stream 1. Water 2. Vitamins 3. Mineral Salts

Common Problems Ulcers  Open sores in the mucous membrane of the GI tract Indigestion  Overwhelming of the stomach Heart burn  Stomach acid passes up to the esophagus Gallstones  Crystallized deposits of cholesterol and other substances that collect in the gallbladder Appendicitis  Inflammation in the appendix, usually caused by bacteria (lower right)

How to care FOR THIS SYSTEM: Drink water Eat healthy (variety & high fiber) Avoid fatty foods Eat food slowly Don’t eat under stress

Foods that benefit the Digestive System Yogurt,Apples, peaches carrots and cabbage are especially helpful with lower GI tract. To avoid constipation: (build up of stools minus liquid)…oats, fruits, veggies, fiber rich food

How it interacts with other systems Circulatory/Cardiovascular – takes nutrients from small intestine to rest of body Muscular – Muscles contract pushing food through (peristalsis) Nervous – Tells brain when you are hungry- Immune – Acid in stomach kills pathogens