Function
Mouth
Entrance point for food; initiates the digestion process.
Tongue
Contains taste buds; aids in chewing and swallowing
Salivary Glands
Parotid: limit the extent of swelling when they are inflamed. Sublingual: produce mucin which is found in saliva. Submandibular: produces 70% of saliva made in the body.
Pharynx
Carries air to the trachea; carries food to the esophagus.
Esophagus
Carries bolus from mouth to the stomach.
Cardiac Sphincter
Prevents backflow of food into the esophagus
Stomach
J-shaped organ that receives the bolus from the esophagus.
Pyloric Sphincter
Keeps the food in the stomach until time to move to the small intestines. ~1-4 hrs.
Small Intestines
Most of digestion occurs here; Duodenum: Emulsification of fat occurs here. Jejunum: to support the absorption of carbohydrates and proteins. Ileum: absorb nutrients from the chime.
Ileocecal Valve
Prevents food from returning to the small intestine from the large intestine.
Cecum
Absorb water and salts from undigested foods.
Vermiform Appendix
Serves as a “safe house” for enterobacteria.
Large Intestine
Absorbs vitamins, waste transport out of the body. Ascending colon; helps in movement of food through the body from the small intestine. Transverse colon; to extract water and nutrients from digested foods that pass through the digestive tract. Descending Colon; reservoir for liquid that comes from the small intestine. Sigmoid colon; stores fecal matter until the body is ready to expel it.
Rectum
Fecal matter expelled here.
Anus
Voluntary muscle that controls the expulsion of feces.
Liver
Secretes bile for emulsification of fats, stores sugar and certain vitamins, produces heparin, produces cholesterol, and detoxifies substances.
Gallbladder
Stores and concentrates bile received from the liver.
Pancreas
Produces pancreatic juice to aid in digestion and produces insulin.