Digestive System

includes… Mouth Esophagus Stomach Small intestine Large intestine Liver Pancreas

Its function is to… Break down food into a form that the body can use (glucose)

Structure info: Mouth Esophagus Stomach physical(mechanical) and chemical digestion occurs Esophagus smooth muscle, transports food to stomach by peristalsis Stomach

Structure info Continued: Small intestine nutrients are absorbed Large intestine water is absorbed Liver produces bile, helps break down medicines and fats Pancreas produces insulin, which helps lower your blood sugar Liver and Gall Bladder Pancreas Large Intestine Small Intestine

How is structure and function related? The intestines are long and have increased surface area to obtain the highest absorption rate.

Taking care… Balanced diet Drink lots of H2O Exercise Do NOT smoke. helps things move along, Do NOT smoke. Among the many reasons to quit smoking, it contributes digestive problems such as heart burn, ulcers, and gallstones.

Diseases/Conditions of the digestive system: Cystic fibrosis production of thick mucus blocks the ducts in the pancreas. This blockage prevents digestive juices from entering into the intestines. Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) is one of the most common diseases of the digestive system and the characteristic feature of this condition is heartburn. Otherwise known as acid reflux disease, this condition is caused by the abnormal reflux of the contents in the stomach (including acids) to the esophagus.

Diseases/Conditions of the digestive system Continued: Ulcers are open sores or lesions that can develop on the walls of the esophagus, stomach and duodenum. This condition can be caused by various factors, like, stress, lifestyle, medications, etc.

FUN facts: 1. Every 2 weeks, the human stomach produces a new layer of mucous lining; otherwise the stomach will digest itself. 2. The human liver performs 500 different functions. 3. Liver is the largest and heaviest internal organ of the body and weighs about 1.6 kilos. 4. The Liver is the only organ of the body, which has the capacity to regenerate itself completely even after being removed almost completely. 5. Liver cells take several years to replace themselves.

FUN facts Continued: 6. A healthy liver processes 720 liters of blood per day. 7. The human stomach contains about 35 million small digestive glands. 8. The human stomach produces about 2.5 liters of gastric juice every day. 9. In an average person, it takes 8 seconds for food to travel down the food pipe, 3-5 hours in small intestine and 3-4 days in the large intestine. 10. The human body takes 6 hours to digest a high fat meal and takes 2 hours for a carbohydrate meal.