What is digestive system?
Human digestive system consists of gastrointestinal tract and various organs
Digestion means the breakdown of food into smaller components till the time they gets absorbed into the body.
The organs of the digestive system are- mouth, pharynx, Esophagus, stomach, liver, small intestine, large intestine, rectum and anus.
Function of digestive system is absorption and digestion.
The five major functions of the digestive system are- ingestion, secretion, mixing and movement, digestion, absorption and excretion.
Parts of digestive system
The digestive system comprises of many parts that are –
Mouth is the beginning of the digestive system.
Esophagus is located in throat near trachea the esophagus receives the food from mouth when a person swallows.
The stomach is a hollow organ that holds the food while it gets mixed with stomach enzymes.
The liver has many functions in a human body but it’s main work is to process the nutrients that is absorbed from the small intestine
The small intestine is made up of three parts- duodenum, jejunum and ileum. It is a 22 foot long muscular tube which helps to breakdown the food into smaller components using the enzymes released by the pancreas and liver.
The duodenum is the first segment of small intestine.
Pancreas secretes digestive enzymes into duodenum which helps to breakdown the proteins, fats and carbohydrates.
The large intestine processes the waste so that emptying the bowels becomes easy and convenient from the body. It is a 6-foot long muscular tube which connects the small intestine to the rectum.
Common digestive problems– Heartburn, Diarrhea , irritable bowel syndrome and lactose intolerance.
Common Symptoms associated with digestive system- blood passes with stools, constipation, nausea and vomiting, pain in the belly.
Some diseases that are caused due to digestive problems such as – gallstones, cholecystisis, anal fissure and liver problems.
Intake of yoghurt, apple, papaya and whole grains keeps the digestive system healthy.
