Digestive system

The digestive system is a group of organs working together to convert food into energy and basic
nutrients to feed the entire body. To achieve the goal of providing energy and nutrients to the
body, six major functions take place in the digestive system:
 Ingestion
 Secretion
 Mixing and movement
 Digestion
 Absorption
 Excretion
Digestive system is divided to:
1. Alimentary canal
 oral cavity (1. salivary glands – to produce saliva to moisturize the food, to kill
bacteria (lysocim), to start the process of digestion (the starch begins to be
digested in oral cavity by amylase), to provide slightly basic environment in oral
cavity; 2. tongue – to mix and swallow the food;3. teeth – to mill the food)
 pharynx
 oesophagus (pipe-like, food is mixed and moved to the stomach)
 stomach (sac-like organ, where food is mixed and digested by gastric juice
(collection of enzymes) in acidic environment: proteins are broken down to
aminoacids, carbohydrates – to monosaccharides, fats – to glycerin and fatty
acids)
 small intestine (long, highly folded with villi, digestion of fats and absorption of
nutrients) is divided to 3 sections: 1. duodenum, 2. jejunum, 3. ileum
 large intestine (contains bacteria to break down of wastes, water and ions are
absorbed) is divided to 3 sections: 1. ascending colon – cecum, appendix, 2.
transverse colon, 3. descending colon – sigmoid, rectum
2. Accessory organs
 salivary glands – parotid, submandibular, sublingual
 pancreas (shaped like short, lumpy snake with its “head” connected to the
duodenum and its “tail” pointing to the left wall of the abdominal cavity; the main
functions are: to secrete digestive enzymes into the small intestine to complete the
chemical digestion of foods; to secret hormones – insulin, glucagon)
 liver (roughly triangular, located to the right of the stomach, has next functions:
detoxification, metabolism, glycogen storage, bile production, haemoglobin
breakdown)
 gall bladder (small, pear-shaped organ located just posterior to the liver; is used to
store the bile – to emulsify fats)

Digestion
 in oral cavity – 1. mechanical (milling and mixing), 2. chemichal (digestion by enzymes
of saliva – e.g. starch begins to be brokendown)
 in stomach – 1. mechanical (mixing), 2. chemichal (digestion by enzymes of gastric
juice), 3. absorption (of alcohol, minerals, medicines, water)
 in small intestine – 1. chemichal (digestion of fats by enzymes of intestinal juice), 2.
absorption (of nutrients)
 in large intestine – 1. chemichal (digestion – the finishing), 2. absorption (of water and
some nutrients), 3. decaying of wastes (by bacteria)