There are four main functions of the digestive system. It processes and stores food so the body can use it. It produces enzymes, hydrochloric acid, mucus, hormones and Vitamin K. The system absorbs nutrients to send throughout the blood stream. Lastly, it eliminates waste.
Saliva and teeth begin the track by breaking down the food. Between 1 and 1.5 liters of saliva are produced by your body every day. From there, the food passes through the esophagus and muscles are contracted to squeeze the food down the tubes. This muscle movement is called peristalsis. Then, it dumps into the stomach. The stomach has a very thick wall, with three layers of protective muscle. Strong gastric juices are then dumped to break the food down more. Every day more than 1.5 liters are used to do that.
When food particles leave the stomach, they are only about one millimeter in size. From the stomach, the food now moves to the small intestines. More enzymes are added here from the pancreas to help to further break down food. On top of that, the gallbladder releases bile which it had stored from the liver earlier. The bile is used to mainly break down fats. The trip through the small intestines involves going through 22 feet of tubing. All throughout the small intestines, there are small villi, which are hair-like projections. Each of these are covered with microvilli. These little threads absorb healthy nutrients and put them back into the blood stream. There are between 4 and 5 million of these just in the small intestines. Food is in the small intestines for 3 to 6 hours while this absorption process is taking place. After the process is complete, a large percentage of the liquid is absorbed. In one day, around 8 liters of fluid come into the small intestines, but only about ½ to 1 liter is left to be passed on to the large intestines.
These nutrients that were absorbed are very important to the body. Nutrients are all sorts of things we intake. They are vitamins such as Vitamin A, B, C, and many more. They are also crucial to survive. If not for the proper nutrition, we would starve to death.
The nutrients that were absorbed in the blood stream are now taken to the liver. The liver seems to be a pretty smart organ. It stores the nutrients and changes from one kind to another. Then, it releases them when the body is active and needs them.
Next, the food that remains passes through the large intestines. The large intestines absorb the remaining water. The other thing is that these intestines produce the Vitamin K the body needs for blood clots.
From the large intestines, waste is sent to the colon. The colon takes any last nutrients, and passes the final waste onto the rectum. There, all waste exits the body.
As you can see, the digestive system is very crucial. Without it, we would die. It is hard to believe that so much happens from your mouth on. Going through the esophagus and then into the stomach. All of the digestive juices are then put into action to break down the food. Then, after sent out of the stomach, more juices are added from the gallbladder and the pancreas. Next, the small intestines absorb the nutrients our bodies need to survive. Then the large intestines get rid of the water so the waste can be excreted. The waste is excreted, and all the nutrients sent to the liver to be stored for use. This whole process is what keeps us going, and supplies us with nutrients when our body is active. Thank goodness for the digestive system!
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