Digestive System

The digestive system is a group of organs working together to turn food into energy and nutrients, which the rest of the body uses to remain healthy.

Food passes through a tube called the gastrointestinal tract or the GI tract.

The GI Tract is made up of the following

• Mouth
• Throat
• Esophagus
• Stomach
• Small Intestine
• Large Intestine

There are other accessory organs that play a part in the digestive system, but food does not pass through them.

these include

• teeth
• tongue
• salivary glands
• pancreas
• liver
• gallbladder

You have 32 teeth in your mouth, each made of dentin and covered in enamel.

Your tongue is made up of multiple pairs of muscles. The bumpy layer of the tongue is papillae, which is used for gripping food

You have 3 sets of salivary glands. Each one produces saliva, which helps to slick food for easier swallowing and digestion.

Your throat is a tube connected to the back of your mouth. The throat's purpose in the digestive system is to serve as a passageway for food transportation between the mouth and esophagus.

Your esophagus is a tube connecting the throat and stomach. It delivers chewed food to the stomach. The cardiac sphincter at the end of the esophagus closes to trap food inside the stomach.

Your stomach is about the size of an average person's 2 fists. It has hydrochloric acid used to help break down the food.

The small intestine is 10ft long and 1in in diameter. Folds in the intestine extract nutrients from food going through it. By the time the foods passed through, the small intestine has extracted 90% of the nutrients!

Your liver weighs around 3lbs. It's the 2nd largest organ in the body! The liver produces bile, a bitter fluid secreted to digest fats.

Your gallbladder is small and shaped like a pear. It stores the extra bile so it can be reused in up-coming meals.

Your pancreas is around 6in long. It's purpose is to release enzymes into the small intestine to complete the digestive process.

There are lots of cells in the digestive system

Hepatocytes, kupffer cells, fenestrated endothelial cells, and Ito cells all belong to the liver

Surface mucous cells, chief cells, mucous neck cells, parietal cells, enteroendocrine cells, and stem cells are found in the stomach.

Exocrine cells and endocrine cells belong to the pancreas.

Enterocytes, stem cells, goblet cells, tuft cells, paneth cells, enteroendocrines, and Brunner's glands all make up the intestines.

The purpose of your digestive system is to Ingest, Digest, Absorb nutrients, and Eject waste.
I.D.A.E.

NOT-SO-FUN FUN FACTS!

• Pancreatic cancer is so deadly, because it's so hard to find. The pancreas is so small by the time the doctors find it, it's too late.
• Peritonitis is a deadly disease if left untreated lining the abdominal cavity.

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CITES

• https://www.dmu.edu/medterms/digestive-system/digestive-system-diseases/
• http://www.innerbody.com/image/digeov.html#full-description
• http://www.siumed.edu/~dking2/erg/gicells.htm