Digestive System

The human body needs energy to function, so it must take food. Food cannot be digested without processing it must undergo a series of physical, chemical and biological changes. This process, called digestion, helps convert the carbohydrates, fats and proteins of foods into substances used by the body.

The digestive system, which begins with the oral cavity and ends with the anus, is 12 meters long and operates in two phases. The mechanical phase occurs primarily in the oral cavity and consists of breaking up the food eaten into particles small enough to be easily swallowed. The chemical phase represents the transformation of food into substances absorbed by the body, which is achieved through the action of various juices secreted by the digestive glands.

Salivary glands - these three pairs of glands secrete saliva, which moistens and begins the chemical processing of food.

The oral cavity is the cavity in which chewing and wetting of food with saliva occurs. It contains teeth that chew food and a tongue that crushes and distributes food among the teeth.

The liver is a vital organ for the body. Accumulates glycogen, which is an energy reserve, and secretes bile necessary for the digestion of fats.

The gallbladder is an organ located in the lower part of the liver that stores bile and supplies it to the intestines.

The pancreas is a mixed secretion gland located under the stomach, which secretes pancreatic juice and insulin, a hormone that regulates glucose metabolism.

The appendix is ​​a small vermiform appendage whose purpose is unknown.

The epiglottis is a cartilage located between the larynx and pharynx that prevents food from entering the respiratory tract.

The esophagus is the tube connecting the pharynx to the stomach. The muscles that form the inner walls of the esophagus contract to push food into the stomach.

The stomach is an organ located in the abdominal cavity. It receives food already moistened with saliva and chewed, mixes it with gastric juice and pushes it through the pylorus into the duodenum.

The small intestine is a part of the digestive tract, 4 to 7 meters long, where pancreatic and gastric juices, bile enter, and where nutrients are absorbed.

The large intestine is the last part of the digestive tract, consisting of the cecum, colon, and rectum, where water from food is absorbed and feces from undigested foods is formed.

The rectum is the last part of the large intestine and digestive tract that connects the colon to the external environment.