Digestive System

The digestive system is made up of the gastrointestinal tract—also called the GI tract or digestive tract—and
the liver, pancreas, and gallbladder. The GI tract is a series of hollow organs joined in a long, twisting tube from
the mouth to the anus. The hollow organs that make up the GI tract are the mouth, esophagus, stomach, small
intestine, large intestine, and anus. The liver, pancreas, and gallbladder are the solid organs of the digestive
system.

The small intestine has three parts. The first part is called the duodenum. The jejunum is in the middle and the
ileum is at the end. The large intestine includes the appendix, cecum, colon, and rectum. The appendix is a
finger-shaped pouch attached to the cecum. The cecum is the first part of the large intestine. The colon is next.
The rectum is the end of the large intestine.
Bacteria in your GI tract, also called gut flora or microbiome, help with digestion. Parts of
your nervous and circulatory systems also help. Working together, nerves, hormones, bacteria, blood, and the
organs of your digestive system digest the foods and liquids you eat or drink each day.

Digestion is important because your body needs nutrients from food and drink to work properly and stay
healthy. Proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and water are nutrients. Your digestive system breaks
nutrients into parts small enough for your body to absorb and use for energy, growth, and cell repair.

o Proteins break into amino acids.

Each part of your digestive system helps to move food and liquid through your GI tract, break food and liquid
into smaller parts, or both. Once foods are broken into small enough parts, your body can absorb and move the
nutrients to where they are needed. Your large intestine absorbs water, and the waste products of digestion
become stool. Nerves and hormones help control the digestive process.

The digestive process:

Organ Movement
Mouth Chewing
Esophagus Peristalsis
Upper muscle in stomach relaxes to let food enter, and
Stomach
lower muscle mixes food with digestive juice.
Small intestine Peristalsis
Pancreas None
Liver None
Large intestine Peristalsis

Food moves through your GI tract by a process called peristalsis. The large, hollow organs of your GI tract contain
a layer of muscle that enables their walls to move. The movement pushes food and liquid through your GI tract
and mixes the contents within each organ. The muscle behind the food contracts and squeezes the food forward,
while the muscle in front of the food relaxes to allow the food to move.

Mouth: Food starts to move through your GI tract when you eat. The digestive process starts in your mouth
when you chew. Your salivary glands make saliva, a digestive juice, which moistens food, so it moves more easily
through your esophagus into your stomach. Saliva also has an enzyme that begins to break down starches in
your food. As food moves through your GI tract, your digestive organs break the food into smaller parts using:

o Motion, such as chewing, squeezing, and mixing.

Esophagus: Once you begin swallowing, the process becomes automatic. Your brain signals the muscles of the
esophagus and peristalsis begins.

Lower esophageal sphincter: When food reaches the end of your esophagus, a ringlike muscle—called the lower
esophageal sphincter —relaxes and lets food pass into your stomach. This sphincter usually stays closed to keep
what’s in your stomach from flowing back into your esophagus.

Stomach: After food enters your stomach, stomach acid and enzymes break down food. The stomach muscles
mix the food and liquid with digestive juices. The stomach slowly empties its contents, called chyme, into your
small intestine.

Pancreas: Your pancreas makes a digestive juice that has enzymes that break down carbohydrates, fats, and
proteins. The pancreas delivers the digestive juice to the small intestine through small tubes called ducts.

Liver: Your liver makes a digestive juice called bile that helps digest fats and some vitamins. Bile ducts carry bile
from your liver to your gallbladder for storage, or to the small intestine for use.

Gallbladder: Your gallbladder stores bile between meals. When you eat, your gallbladder squeezes bile through
the bile ducts into your small intestine.

Small intestine: The muscles of the small intestine mix food with digestive juices from the pancreas, liver, and
intestine, to complete the breakdown of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats and push the mixture forward for
further digestion. Bacteria in your small intestine make some of the enzymes you need to digest carbohydrates.
Your body uses sugars, amino acids, fatty acids, and glycerol to build substances you need for energy, growth,
and cell repair.

The walls of the small intestine absorb water and the digested nutrients into your bloodstream. As peristalsis
continues, the waste products of the digestive process move into the large intestine.

Large intestine: Waste products from the digestive process include undigested parts of food, fluid, and older
cells from the lining of your GI tract. Bacteria in your large intestine help break down remaining nutrients and
make vitamin K. The large intestine absorbs water and changes the waste from liquid into stool. Peristalsis helps
move the stool into your rectum.

Rectum: The lower end of your large intestine, the rectum, stores stool until it pushes stool out of your anus
during a bowel movement.
Hormones

Cells lining your stomach and small intestine make and release hormones that control how your digestive system
works. These hormones tell your body when to make digestive juices and send signals to your brain that you are
hungry or full. Your pancreas also makes hormones that are important to digestion.

Nerves

You have nerves that connect your central nervous system—your brain and spinal cord—to your digestive
system and control some digestive functions. For example, when you see or smell food, your brain sends a signal
that causes your salivary glands to "make your mouth water" to prepare you to eat.

You also have an enteric nervous system (ENS)—nerves within the walls of your GI tract. When food stretches
the walls of your GI tract, the nerves of your ENS release many different substances that speed up or delay the
movement of food and the production of digestive juices. The nerves send signals to control the actions of your
gut muscles to contract and relax to push food through your intestines.

Common Conditions That Affect the Digestive System

There are temporary conditions and long-term, or chronic, diseases and disorders that affect the digestive
system. It’s common to have conditions such as constipation, diarrhea, or heartburn from time to time. If you
are experiencing digestive issues like these frequently, be sure to contact your healthcare professional. It could
be a sign of a more serious disorder that needs medical attention and treatment.

Short-term or temporary conditions that affect the digestive system include:

o Constipation: Constipation generally happens when you go poop (have a bowel movement) less
frequently than you normally do. When you’re constipated, your poop is often dry and hard and it’s
difficult and painful for your poop to pass.
o Diarrhea: Diarrhea is when you have loose or watery poop. Diarrhea can be caused by many things,
including bacteria, but sometimes the cause is unknown.
o Heartburn: Although it has “heart” in its name, heartburn is actually a digestive issue. Heartburn is an
uncomfortable burning feeling in your chest that can move up your neck and throat. It happens when
acidic digestive juices from your stomach go back up your esophagus.
o Hemorrhoids: Hemorrhoids are swollen, enlarged veins that form inside and outside of your anus and
rectum. They can be painful, uncomfortable and cause rectal bleeding.
o Stomach flu (gastroenteritis): The stomach flu is an infection of the stomach and upper part of the small
intestine usually caused by a virus. It usually lasts less than a week. Millions of people get the stomach
flu every year.
o Ulcers: An ulcer is a sore that develops on the lining of the esophagus, stomach, or small intestine. The
most common causes of ulcers are infection with a bacteria called Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) and
long-term use of anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen.
 o Gallstones: Gallstones are small pieces of solid material formed from digestive fluid that form in your
gallbladder, a small organ under your liver.

Common digestive system diseases (gastrointestinal diseases) and disorders include:

o GERD (chronic acid reflux): GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease, or chronic acid reflux) is a condition
in which acid-containing contents in your stomach frequently leak back up into your esophagus.
o Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS): IBS is a condition in which your colon muscle contracts more or less
often than normal. People with IBS experience excessive gas, abdominal pain, and cramps.
o Lactose intolerance: People with lactose intolerance are unable to digest lactose, the sugar primarily
found in milk and dairy products.
o Diverticulosis and diverticulitis: Diverticulosis and diverticulitis are two conditions that occur in your
large intestine (also called your colon). Both share the common feature of diverticula, which are pockets
or bulges that form in the wall of your colon.
o Cancer: Cancers that affect tissues and organs in the digestive system are called gastrointestinal (GI)
cancers. There are multiple kinds of GI cancers. The most common digestive system cancers
include esophageal cancer, gastric (stomach) cancer, colon and rectal (colorectal) cancer, pancreatic
cancer and liver cancer.
o Crohn’s disease: Crohn’s disease is a lifelong form of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The condition
irritates the digestive tract.
o Celiac disease: Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder that can damage your small intestine. The
damage happens when a person with celiac disease consumes gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley,
and rye.

How to Keep the Digestive System Healthy

o Drink water often: Water helps the food you eat flow more easily through your digestive system. Low
amounts of water in your body (dehydration) is a common cause of constipation.
o Include fiber in your diet: Fiber is beneficial to digestion and helps your body have regular bowel
movements. Be sure to incorporate both soluble and insoluble fiber into your diet.
o Eat a balanced diet: Be sure to eat several servings of fruit and vegetables every day. Choose whole
grains over processed grains and try to avoid processed foods in general. Choose poultry and fish more
often than red meat and limit all deli (processed) meats. Limit the amount of sugar you consume.
o Eat foods with probiotics or take probiotic supplements: Probiotics are good bacteria that help fight off
the bad bacteria in your gut. They also make healthy substances that nourish your gut. It can be
especially helpful to consume probiotics after you have taken an antibiotic because antibiotics often kill
both bad and good bacteria in your gut.
o Eat mindfully and chew your food: Eating slowly gives your body time to digest your food properly. It
also allows your body to send you cues that it is full. It is important to chew your food thoroughly
because it helps to ensure your body has enough saliva (spit) for digestion. Chewing your food fully also
makes it easier for your digestive system to absorb the nutrients in the food.
 o Exercise: Physical activity and gravity help move food through your digestive system. Taking a walk, for
example, after you eat a meal can help your body digest the food more easily.
o Avoid alcohol and smoking: Alcohol can increase the amount of acid in your stomach and can cause
heartburn, acid reflux and stomach ulcers. Smoking almost doubles your risk of having acid reflux.
Research has shown that people who have digestive issues that quit smoking have improved symptoms.
o Manage your stress: Stress is associated with digestive issues such as constipation, diarrhea, and IBS.

Bibliography:

➢ Your Digestive System & How it Works. (2021, December 9). National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. [Link]
diseases/digestive-system-how-it-works
➢ Digestive System: Function, Organs & Anatomy. (n.d.). Cleveland Clinic. [Link]
system#:%7E:text=The%20main%20organs%20that%20make,pancreas%2C%20gall%20bladder%20and%20liver.

Digestive System Questions

1. What are all the organs involved in the digestive system?

2. What is gut flora or microbiome?

3. Where does the digestive process start?

4. What happen when food reaches the stomach?

5. What is the function of pancreatic juice?

6. What is the function of bile?

7. What is the function of the gallbladder?

8. What happen in the small intestine during the digestive process?

9. What happen in the large intestine during the digestive process?

10. What is the function of hormones in the digestive process?

11. What is the function of nerves in the digestive process?

12. What are some common conditions of the digestive system?

13. What are some diseases of the digestive system?