Mouth transverse (across) colon, the descending (left) colon,
The mouth is the beginning of the digestive tract; and, and the sigmoid colon, which connects to the rectum.
in fact, digestion starts here when taking the first bite of Rectum
food. Chewing breaks the food into pieces that are The rectum (Latin for "straight") is an 8-inch chamber
more easily digested, while saliva mixes with food to that connects the colon to the anus. It is the rectum's
begin the process of breaking it down into a form your job to receive stool from the colon, to let the person
body can absorb and use. know that there is stool to be evacuated, and to hold
Esophagus the stool until evacuation happens
Located in your throat near your trachea (windpipe), Anus
the esophagus receives food from your mouth when The anus is the last part of the digestive tract. It is a 2-
you swallow. By means of a series of muscular inch long canal consisting of the pelvic floor muscles
contractions called peristalsis, the esophagus delivers and the two anal sphincters (internal and external).
food to your stomach.
Stomach 1. Eat a high-fiber diet.
The stomach is a hollow organ, or "container," that 2. Get both insoluble and soluble fiber.
holds food while it is being mixed with enzymes that 3. Limit foods that are high in fat.
continue the process of breaking down food into a 4. Choose lean meats.
usable form. 5. Incorporate probiotics into your diet.
Small intestine 6. Eat on schedule.
Made up of three segments - the duodenum, jejunum, 7. Stay hydrated.
and ileum - the small intestine is a 22-foot long 8. Skip the bad habits: smoking, excessive caffeine, and
muscular tube that breaks down food using enzymes alcohol.
released by the pancreas and bile from the liver. 9. Exercise regularly.
Peristalsis also is at work in this organ, moving food 10. Manage stress.
through and mixing it with digestive secretions from the
pancreas and liver. Food needs to be broken down to feed our
Pancreas cells. The cells in turn provide energy (via the
The pancreas secretes digestive enzymes into the mitochondria) for us to live. It’s an entire
duodenum, the first segment of the small intestine. process, the citric acid cycle. All of our body
These enzymes break down protein, fats, and parts, our brain, eyes, skin, lungs, liver,
carbohydrates. The pancreas also makes insulin, intestines, muscles, etc.. need to be fed. Every
secreting it directly into the bloodstream. Insulin is the living part of your body needs to be fed. The
chief hormone for metabolizing sugar. bigger question is what is the best food for our
Liver bodies, carbs, fats or protein. Fats and proteins
The liver has multiple functions, but its main function are more necessary than carbs.
within the digestive system is to process the nutrients Food is the body's fuel source. The nutrients in
absorbed from the small intestine. Bile from the liver food give the body's cells the energy and other
secreted into the small intestine also plays an important substances they need to operate. But before
role in digesting fat. In addition, the liver is the body's food can do any of these things, it has to be
chemical "factory." It takes the raw materials absorbed digested into small pieces the body can absorb
by the intestine and makes all the various chemicals the and use.
body needs to function. The liver also detoxifies Every morsel of food we eat has to be broken
potentially harmful chemicals. It breaks down and down into nutrients that can be absorbed by
secretes many drugs. the body, which is why it takes hours to fully
Gallbladder digest food.
The gallbladder stores and concentrates bile, and then Because our body breaks down the food we eat
releases it into the duodenum to help absorb and digest and uses the nutrients for energy. Then we can
fats. use this energy for neat stuff like running,
Colon (large intestine) walking, working
The colon is a 6-foot long muscular tube that connects
the small intestine to the rectum. The large intestine is
made up of the cecum, the ascending (right) colon, the