The mouth
The mouth is the entry point for food, but the digestive system often gets ready
before the first piece of food even enters our mouth. Saliva is released by the
salivary glands into our oral cavity when we smell food. Once the food enters the
mouth, chewing (mastication) breaks food into smaller particles that can be more
easily attacked by the enzymes in saliva. Our teethcan perform a cutting as well
as grinding function to accomplish this task. The tongue assists in mixing the
food with the saliva and then the tongue and roof of the mouth (soft palate) help
move the food along to the pharynx and esophagus
The pharynx and esophagus
The pharynx (throat) is the transition area from the mouth to the esophagus.
From the pharynx there are two paths that the food bolus can take; 1) the wrong
path, which is down the windpipe into the lungs, or 2) the correct path into the
esophagus and then the stomach. The act of swallowing is a complex process
that closes the windpipe (to protect our lungs) and moves food into the
esophagus. This process is mostly automatic (reflex) but it is also partially under
our direct control.
Once it enters the esophagus, food is moved down the esophagus and into our
stomach. The esophagus is a muscular tube that contracts in a synchronized
fashion (peristalsis) to move food down towards the stomach. While the muscles
behind the food product contract, the muscles ahead of the food relax, causing
the forward propulsion of the food. Peristalsis is the main mechanism by which
food moves through our digestive system.
Once the food approaches the stomach, a muscular valve (the lower esophageal
sphincter) relaxes and lets the food pass into the stomach. This sphincter has the
important function of closing the stomach so no food or stomach acid reenters
the esophagus (and therefore avoiding heartburn or regurgitation).
The stomach and small intestine
From glands that line the stomach, acid and enzymes are secreted that continue
the breakdown process of the food. The stomach muscles further mix the food.
At the end of this process, the food you placed in your mouth has been
transformed to a thick creamy fluid called chyme.
This thick fluid is then pushed into the duodenum (the first part of the small
intestine). With the help of enzymes from the pancreas and bile from the liver,
further breakdown of the food occurs in the small intestine.
The small intestine has three segments. The first segment is the duodenum
where further breakdown of the food takes place. The next two parts of the small
intestine (jejunum and ileum) are mostly responsible for the absorption of
nutrients from the processed food into the bloodstream through the walls of the
intestine.
After the small intestine, the leftover waste leaves the upper gastrointestinal tract
(upper GI tract) which is made up of everything above the large intestine, and
moves into the large intestine or colon (the beginning of the lower GI tract).
The colon, rectum, and anus
The role of the lower GI tract is to solidify the waste product (by absorbing water),
store the waste product until it can be evacuated (going to the bathroom) and
help with the evacuation process.
The large intestine (colon) has four parts:
1. ascending colon,
2. transverse colon,
3. descending colon and
4. sigmoid colon.
All together the colon is approximately 7 feet long and connects to the rectum.
Here as in most other parts of the GI system, the waste product is moved along
by peristalsis. As the waste product passes through the colon, water is absorbed
and stool is formed.
The stool from the colon is stored in the rectum. The anal sphincter provides the
control over releasing stool or holding it. Once stool arrives in the rectum, a
feedback to the brain makes the person aware of the need for a bowel
movement. Voluntary control over the anal sphincter lets us hold the stool until
we go to the toilet.
Three accessory digestive organs (pancreas, liver,
gallbladder)
Three other organs are instrumental in the digestive process.
1. Pancreas: Although the pancreas is mostly known for its blood
sugar regulatory function with the production of insulin (as part of the
endocrine system -- he insulin goesdirectly from the gland into the
bloodstream), it is the main producer of digestive enzymes as part of the
exocrine system (the enzymes produced by the gland pass through a duct
into the intestines). These enzymes are released into the duodenum and
help with the digestion of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates..
2. Liver: The liver produces bile for fat digestion and elimination. In addition,
nutrients are stored in the liver, and toxins and chemicals are filtered by
liver.
3. Gallbladder: Bile is stored and released from the gallbladder. When fatty
food enters the duodenum, the gallbladder contracts and releases bile.
What is digestion?
The process of digestion is a fascinating and complex one that takes the food we
place in our mouth and turns it into energy and waste products. This process
takes place in the gastrointestinal tract, a long, connected, tubular structure that
starts with the mouth and ends with the anus. The food is propelled forward
within the system, altered by enzymes and hormones into usable particles and
absorbed along the way. Other organs that support the digestive process are
the liver, gallbladder, and pancreas. The time it takes for food to travel from
entering the mouth to be excreted as waste is around 30 to 40 hours.