The Digestive System By Matt Francis

1. The Digestive SystemBy Matt Francis

2. Mouth The mouth has many functions, but the three main digestive functions are the intake of food, the beginning of mechanical digestion, and swallowing. The mouth is also the beginning of chemical digestion. Saliva breaks down food chemically using enzymes while teeth break food down mechanically by chewing. An unusual fact is the average person chews their food 14.235 times before swallowing.

3. Esophagus The tube connecting the throat to the stomach. It is 10 to 12 inches long in adults and 3/4 inches wide. It is coated with mucus and surrounded by muscles that push food down by contracting in waves. Its function is to transport food from the throat to the stomach and keep stomach contents in the stomach. An interesting fact is since the esophagus uses muscle contractions to move food to the stomach, food could get to a person’s stomach even if they were standing on their head.

4. Stomach Food undergoes both mechanical and chemical digestion in the stomach. The stomach churns the food using muscular contractions which eventually turns the food into a liquid called chyme. The stomach then releases gastric juices to break down the food particles in the chyme. The stomach’s 3 main functions are to store food we swallow, to break down large fat and protein molecules in the food, and to empty partially digested chyme into the duodenum. An interesting fact is an adult’s stomach can hold 1.5 liters of material.

5. Liver/Gallbladder The liver’s main function in digestion is making a chemical called bile that will be mixed with food. But, bile is not stored in the liver. It is stored in the gallbladder. The gallbladder mixes bile with chyme in the duodenum and breaks down large fat particles in the chyme. An interesting fact about the liver is it is the second largest organ in the body, behind skin. An interesting fact about the gallbladder is bile that stays in the gallbladder longer becomes more potent.

6. Pancreas The pancreas has two main functions in the digestive system. It mixes a digestive solution in with the chyme which breaks down carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. It also neutralizes stomach acid. The pancreas also makes insulin, a hormone that lets glucose pass from the bloodstream into your cells. An interesting fact is because of the pancreas’ location, it is a hard organ to injure.

7. Small Intestine Most of the digestion takes place in the small intestine. Chemicals from the liver and pancreas are mixed with the chyme and break food particles down. Absorption of food takes place here. Small, fingerlike projections called villi absorb nutrients into the bloodstream. An interesting fact about the small intestine is it is 22 feet long.

8. Appendix The appendix is usually 2 to 20 centimeters long and 7 to 8 millimeters wide. It is located at the right lower end of the abdomen. The appendix has no known function.

9. Large Intestine The main function of the large intestine is to remove the water from the chyme. This helps keep water in your body. The chyme may stay there for as long as three days. After water is absorbed, the material becomes more solid. It is about 1.5 meters long and 10 centimeters wide. An interesting fact about the large intestine is it has 6 parts.

10. Rectum/Anus The rectum and anus are the final stages of the digestive tract. The rectum and anus use muscular contractions to push the waste out of the body. The rectum provides temporary storage for the waste until it is expelled out of the anus. An interesting fact about the rectum is it is the last straight portion of the large intestine. The anus is not apart of the large intestine.

11. Systems That Work With the Digestive System The circulatory system works with the digestive system by the blood transporting nutrients from the food. The excretory system works with it by expelling wastes. It also works with the muscular system using the muscular contractions.