DIGESTIVE SYSTEM

THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM

• The digestive system is a group of organs and glands that are responsible for exspelling the waste from food out of the body.
• Includes the teeth, tongue, salivary glands, stomach, large intestine, small intestine, gall bladder, esophagus, liver, and the pancreas.

TONGUE

• The tongue has a rough surface due to taste buds. The tongue is also very flexible, helping to push food towards the esophagus

TEETH

• The teeth crush and make food digestible. Teeth make the food small enough to pass through the esophagus, as well as assist the stomach acid to digest smaller pieces of food more quickly.

SALIVARY GLANDS

• The salivary glands release saliva, which beings to soften the food, allowing it to pass smoothly through the esphougus. One gland is located under the tounge and one behind the ear near the ear lob.

ESOPHAGUS

• The Esophagus is a tube that allows food from the mouth to travel to the stomach. At the top of the esophagus there are muscles tha prevent food from going down the trachea, and at the bottom there are muscles that prevent acid from flowing up through the esophagus.

STOMACH

• The mixer and grinder of food. The stomach secretes acids and powerful enzymes that break down food. It leaves the food as liquid or paste.

SMALL INTESTINE

• Responsible for absorbing nutrients into the body. The small intestine does 90% of absorption and digestion of nutrients in the body.

COLON

• The colon is the last section of the digestive system, and has the most vital job of absorbing water and vitamins from food, while turning them into feces.

LIVER

• The liver is responsible for producing bile. Bile is a mixture of water, bile salt, cholesterol, and a pigment called bilirubin. Bile assists with the digestion of large amounts of fat by breaking it down into smaller pieces.

GALLBLADDER

• The gallbladder is responsible for storing as well as secreting bile into the small intestine through the common bile duct. The bile assists with the digestion of fats

PANCREAS

• The pancreas produces insulin in order to regulate blood sugar. It also produces enzymes that are secreted into the small intestine to further break down food.

CITATIONS

• Web MD.com. (2015) Your Digestive System. "Web MD.com." Retrieved from: http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/picture-of-the-esophagus
• Tim Taylor. (2015) Large Intestine. "Inner Body.com." Retrieved from: http://www.innerbody.com/anatomy/digestive/large-intestine

CITATIONS

• The New International Standard Medical Encyclopedia. (2015). The Digestive System and Liver- The mouth: saliva teeth and tongue. "Faqs.org" Retrieved from: http://www.faqs.org/health-encyc/Your-Body/The-Digestive-System-and-the-Liv...

By Leigh Roberts, Cheney Gertz, Corinne Stump, Lily Dutchess and Jacquez Moore