The digestive system is a complex network of organs and glands that work together to break down food into nutrients that can be used by the body. Its two main functions are digestion and absorption. Digestion is the process of breaking down food into smaller molecules that can be absorbed and used by the body's cells. This process begins in the mouth, where food is chewed and mixed with saliva to form a bolus.
The bolus then passes through the pharynx and esophagus before entering the stomach. Here, it is mixed with digestive juices and churned to break down the food particles into smaller molecules. The next step in digestion is absorption, which occurs in the small intestine. Here, the broken-down molecules are absorbed into the bloodstream and transported to the cells throughout the body.
Unused materials are then discarded in the form of faeces (excrement).The digestive system is made up of a series of organs that allow the body to obtain the nutrients and energy it needs from the food we eat. As food travels through the digestive system, it is broken down, sorted and reprocessed before it circulates through the body to nourish and replace cells and supply energy to our muscles. The digestive system prepares nutrients for use by the body's cells through six activities or functions.The first activity of the digestive system is ingestion, which involves taking food into the mouth. After ingestion and chewing, food particles pass from the mouth to the pharynx and then to the esophagus.
This movement is called swallowing or deglutition. Mixing movements occur in the stomach as a result of smooth muscle contraction.These repetitive contractions usually occur in small segments of the digestive tract and mix food particles with enzymes and other liquids. The movements that push food particles through the digestive tract are called peristalsis. These are rhythmic waves of contractions that move food particles through the various regions where mechanical and chemical digestion takes place.The digestive system is made up of the digestive tract and other organs that help the body break down and absorb food.
The digestive system includes the digestive tract and its accessory organs, which process food into molecules that can be absorbed and used by the body's cells. Among other functions, the pancreas helps digestion by producing digestive enzymes and secreting them into the duodenum (the first segment of the small intestine). You can think of the digestive tract as a long muscular tube with digestive organs attached along the way.In summary, digestion and absorption are two main functions of the digestive system. Digestion involves breaking down food into smaller molecules that can be absorbed by cells, while absorption occurs in the small intestine where these molecules are taken up into the bloodstream for use by cells throughout the body.
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