Digestive System- is the body system that is responsible for breaking down the foo

into simpler form.

The system by which ingested food is acted upon by physical and

chemical means to provide the body with absorbable nutrients and
to excrete waste products; in mammals the system includes the
alimentary canal extending from the mouth to the anus, and the
hormones and enzymes assisting in digestion.

Parts of Digestive System, it’s function and it’s meaning

Mouth- it is where the digestion starts

It is responsible for chewing food

Salivary Gland- it softens the food you eat.

Esophagus - Is a muscular tube connecting the throat (pharynx) with the stomach. The
esophagus is about 8 inches long, and is lined by moist pink tissue called
mucosa. The esophagus runs behind the windpipe (trachea) and heart,
and in front of the spine.

It forms an important piece of the gastrointestinal tract and functions as

the conduit for food and liquids that have been swallowed into the pharynx
to reach the stomach.
Stomach- The stomach is a muscular organ located on the left side of the upper
abdomen. The stomach receives food from the esophagus. As food
reaches the end of the esophagus, it enters the stomach through a
muscular valve called the lower esophageal sphincter. The stomach
secretes acid and enzymes that digest food.

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.

Bile or gall is a dark green to yellowish brown fluid, produced by the liver
of most vertebrates, that aids the digestion of lipids in the small intestine.
In humans, bile is produced continuously by the liver (liver bile), and
stored and concentrated in the gallbladder.

Bile contains bile acids, which are critical for digestion and absorption of
fats and fat-soluble vitamins in the small intestine. Many waste products,
including bilirubin, are eliminated from the body by secretion into bile and
elimination in feces.

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.

Ducts- Its physiological role is to carry bile from the gallbladder and empty
it into the upper part of the small intestine (the duodenum)

Small Intestine-is about 20 feet long and about an inch in diameter. Its job is to absorb
most of the nutrients from what we eat and drink. Velvety tissue lines the
small intestine, which is divided into the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum.

The small intestine is the part of the intestines where 90% of the
digestion and absorption of food occurs, the other 10% taking place in
the stomach and large intestine. The main function of the small intestine is
absorption of nutrients and minerals from food. Digestion involves two
distinct parts.
Parts of small intestine

The duodenum is the first and shortest segment of the small intestine. It
receives partially digested food (known as chyme) from the stomach and
plays a vital role in the chemical digestion of chyme in preparation for
absorption in the small intestine.

The duodenum is the first and shortest segment of the small intestine. It
receives partially digested food (known as chyme) from the stomach and
plays a vital role in the chemical digestion of chyme in preparation for
absorption in the small intestine. Many chemical secretions from the
pancreas, liver and gallbladder mix with the chyme in the duodenum to
facilitate chemical digestion.

Located inferior to the stomach, the duodenum is a 10-12 inch (25-30 cm)
long C-shaped, hollow tube. The duodenum is a part of the
gastrointestinal (GI) tract, attached to the pyloric sphincter of the stomach
on its superior end and to the jejunum of the small intestine on its inferior
end.

The jejunum (/dʒɪˈdʒuːnəm/[2][3]) is the second part of the small intestine

in humans and most higher vertebrates, including mammals, reptiles, and
birds.

The jejunum lies between the duodenum and the ileum and is considered
to begin at the suspensory muscle of the duodenum , a location called the
duodenojejunal flexure.[4] The division between the jejunum and ileum is
not anatomically distinct[5] due to the fact that in adult humans, the small
intestine is usually 6-7m long, about two-fifths of which (2.5 m) is the
jejunum.[4]

The interior surface of the jejunum— which is exposed to ingested food—

is covered in finger–like projections of mucosa, called villi, which increase
the surface area of tissue available to absorb nutrients from ingested
foodstuffs. The epithelial cells which line these villi have microvilli. The
transport of nutrients across epithelial cells through the jejunum and ileum
includes the passive transport of sugar fructose and the active transport of
amino acids, small peptides, vitamins, and most glucose. The villi in the
jejunum are much longer than in the duodenum or ileum.

The pH in the jejunum is usually between 7 and 9 (neutral or slightly

alkaline).

The jejunum and the ileum are suspended by mesentery which gives the
bowel great mobility within the abdomen. It also contains circular and
 longitudinal smooth muscle which helps to move food along by a process
known as peristalsis.

If the jejunum is impacted by blunt force the emesis reflex (vomiting) will
be initiated.[6]

The ileum /ˈɪliəm/ is the final section of the small intestine in most higher
vertebrates, including mammals, reptiles, and birds. In fish, the divisions of
the small intestine are not as clear and the terms posterior intestine or
distal intestine may be used instead of ileum.[2]

The ileum follows the duodenum and jejunum and is separated from the
cecum by the ileocecal valve (ICV). In humans, the ileum is about 2–4 m
long, and the pH is usually between 7 and 8 (neutral or slightly alkaline).

The ileum is the third and final part of the small intestine. It follows the
jejunum and ends at the ileocecal junction, where the terminal ileum
communicates with the cecum of the large intestine through the ileocecal
valve. The ileum, along with the jejunum, is suspended inside the
mesentery, a peritoneal formation that carries the blood vessels supplying
them (the superior mesenteric artery and vein), lymphatic vessels and
nerve fibers.[3]

There is no line of demarcation between the jejunum and the ileum. There
are, however, subtle differences between the two:[3]

 The ileum has more fat inside the mesentery than the jejunum.
 The diameter of its lumen is smaller and has thinner walls than the
jejunum.
 Its circular folds are smaller and absent in the terminal part of the ileum.
 While the length of the intestinal tract contains lymphoid tissue, only the
ileum has abundant Peyer's patches, unencapsulated lymphoid nodules
that contain large numbers of lymphocytes and other cells of the immune
system.

Large intestine- the more terminal division of the vertebrate intestine that is wider
and shorter than the small intestine, typically divided into cecum,
colon, and rectum, and concerned especially with the resorption of
water and the formation of feces.

Anus - the opening at the end of the alimentary canal through which solid
waste matter leaves the body.

Rectum - the final section of the large intestine, terminating at the anus.

Origin.
How does my digestive system work?
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 lower muscle
Stomach
mixes food with digestive juice

Small
Peristalsis
intestine

Pancreas None

Liver None

Large
Peristalsis
intestine