Digestive System

Mical Henriquez The body has many organs. All those organs work together in the digestive system. The process by which your body breaks down food into small nutrient molecules is called digestion. I will now take you through the journey through your body. Mouth The mouth has many functions. It is also the first thing that happens is that your salivary gland reacts. The fluid released when your mouth water is called saliva. There are two types of digestion, mechanical and chemical. In mechanical digestion you bite the food down (with your teeth) into small bits. While doing this your saliva mixes in with the glands to form a slippery mass. Chemical digestion also begins in the mouth. In chemical digestion you breakdown the complex molecules into simpler one. This is achieved by enzymes. An enzyme is a protein that speeds up the chemical reactions in the body. The Esophagus There are two openings in the back of your mouth. One of these openings led to your windpipe, which carries air into your lungs. When you swallow food, muscles in your throat move the food downward. While this happens a flap of tissue called epiglottis closes the windpipe so that food doesnt enter it. As you swallow food goes down the esophagus (a muscular tube that connects the mouth to the stomach). The esophagus in lined up with mucus which allows you to swallow the food easier. The Stomach After food travels down the esophagus it enters the stomach (a J-shaped, muscular pouch located in the abdomen). Most mechanical digestion occurs in the stomach. Three strong layers of muscle contract to produce a churning motion. This action squeezes the food and mixes it with slippery fluids. While this is going on enzymes are breaking down your food into amino acids. Food remains in the stomach which coats and protects the lining of your stomach until the final stage takes place. The Small Intestine The small intestine is the part of the digestion takes place. When the food reaches the small intestine it has already been mechanically digested into a thick liquid. All chemical

digestion and absorption of nutrients takes place in the small intestine. The liquid mixes in with enzymes and secretions, these are produced in three different organs the small intestine, liver, and pancreas. The liver is located in the upper portion of the abdomen. It is the largest organ in your body. As part of your digestive system the liver produces bile (a substance that breaks up fat particles). Bile flows from the liver into the gallbladder (the organ that store bile). The pancreas is a triangular organ that lies between the stomach and the first part of the small intestine. The pancreas produces enzymes that breakdown starches, proteins, and fats. The Large Intestine By this time the food has reached the end of the small intestine and most nutrients have been absorbed. The large intestine is the last stop. It is about as long as the average bathtub. As material moves through the large intestine, water is absorbed into the bloodstream. The remaining material is readied for elimination from the body. The large intestine ends with the rectum. Here waste material I compressed into a solid form. This waste in eliminated through the anus.