UNIT 7

The Digestive
System
The digestive system consists of
the alimentary canal and the
accesson,. organs: tongue, teeth,
salivary glands, pancreas and
liver.
The alimentary canal (digestive
tube) is a continuous tube about
thirty feet (9 ml long, which
extends from the mouth to the anus.
The greater part is coiled up in the
cavity of the abdomen.
The mouth is a oeaily ovalshaped cavity ; behind it
communicates with the pharynx.
The roof is formed by the hard
and ,soft palate, and the greater
part of the floor is formed by the
tongue.
The
space
hounded
externally by the lips and cheeks
and internally by the gums and
teeth is called the vestibule. The
cavity behind this is the mouth
cavity proper.
The pharynx, or throat cavity, is a
musculo-membranous tube shaped
like a cone, with its broad end turned
upward and its constricted end
downward to end in the esophagus.
The pharynx communicates with the
nose, ears, mouth and larynx by
seven apertures.
At the lower end of the pharynx,
behind the trachea, begins the
esophagus, a muscular tube, about
nine to ten inches long. It 'descends
%in front of the vertebral column.
passes through the diaphragm, and

terminates in the upper or cardiac

end of the stomach.
After the esophagus perforates
the diaphragm it ends in the
stomach, which serves as a temporary
receptacle for food. The shape and
position of the stomach are modified
by changes within itself, and in the
surrounding
organstThese
modifications are determined by (1)
the amount of the stomach ; contents,
(2) the stage of digestion which has
been reached, (3) the degree of
development and power of the
muscular walls. and (4) the
'condition of the adjacent intestines.
It is never entirely empty but always
contains a few cubic centimeters of
gastric fluid or mein. When
contracted, the shape of the s'.., ,mach
is comparable to a sickle or sausage.
The stomach presents two openings
and two borders or curvatures. The
opening by which the stomach
communicates with the esophagus is
known as the cardia or esophageal
orifice, and the Orifice which
communicates with the duodenum is
knpwn as the pylorus. Both
apertures are guarded by ring-like
muscles known as sphincters which,
when contracted, keep the orifices
closed.
The small intestine extends from
the pylorus to the colic valve. It is a
convoluted tube about twenty-three
feet in length. For descriptive
purpose, the small intestine is
divided into three portions : the
duodenum, jejunum, and iletim.
The large intestine is only about
five feet long, but is wider than
the small intestine. It extends from
the ileum to the anus. It is divided

into four parts: the cecum with the

vermiform appendix, colon, rectum
and anal canal.
The accessory organs of digestion
are : the tongue, the teeth, the
salivary dands, the pancreas and the
liver.
The tongue is the special organ of
the sense of taste. It assists in
masti
and digestion.
cation, deglutition