By: Summer Stussy

The Digestive System The Digestive system is built of a series of hollow organs that extend from the mouth to the anus. Food and waste travel from organ to organ in a wavy muscle contraction called peristalsis.

Interactions with other Systems Nervous and Muscular- The brain sends impulses to the muscles to do appropriate actions. Circulatory- The absorption of nutrients to the Circulatory System allows body cells to get nutrients. Endocrine- Digestive juices contain enzymes.

Organs and Functions Mouth- Breaks down food with chewing and saliva. Esophagus- A muscular tube that carries food from the mouth to the stomach. Stomach- Stores food for hours at a time and breaks down food by having the walls churn. Small intestine- It is separated into three segments: duodenum, jejunum, and the ileum. The small intestine is where the digestion is completed. Large intestine (colon)- Carries the undigested food to the rectum. Rectum- Stores waste until it is ready to leave the body. Anus- The final part of the digestive tract through which waste exits. Gallbladder- Stores the liver’s chemicals until other organs are in need of it. Liver- produces chemicals that are absorbed by other organs that are involved in the digestive tract. Pancreas- Produces insulin which helps the body regulate blood sugar. It also produces digestive enzymes needed to digest foods. Appendix- Performs no real function in the digestive tract.

Steps of Digestion First food enters the mouth and is broken down into small particles by saliva. Next, the particles enter a muscular tube called the esophagus. The food is transported down the esophagus to the stomach by the contraction of muscles called peristalsis. When it reaches the stomach, it stays there for about three hours. It is then churned and pounded with digestive fluids called bile. The food is then ready to leave the stomach in the form of a thick liquid called chyme. After leaving the stomach, chyme enters the duodenum, the first segment of the small intestine, then it travels into the second segment called the jejunum. After that, it enters the ileum and is transported to the cecum, which is a pouch where the large intestine begins. When it enters the large intestine, it is sent to the rectum where the waste remains until the rectum is full. Then it exits the body through the anus.

Facts! An adult’s digestive tract is about 30 feet long! Our salivary glands produce about 2 liters of spit everyday. That’s an average of 50,000 liters of spit in a lifetime! An average male eats about 50 tons of food in his lifetime! The liver is the largest body gland. It also has the nickname of the “storage tank”.

Pictures!

Sources acts-2 acts estive.html# estive.html# _the_digestive_system_work_with _the_digestive_system_work_with l l