The digestive system is responsible for breaking down food into nutrients that can be absorbed by the body, as well as eliminating waste products. The main organs involved in the digestive system are the mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, rectum, and anus.
Mouth: Digestion begins in the mouth, where teeth and the tongue work together to chew and grind food into small pieces. Saliva, produced by the salivary glands, contains enzymes that begin to break down carbohydrates.
Esophagus: The esophagus is a muscular tube that connects the mouth to the stomach. It uses muscular contractions called peristalsis to move food down into the stomach.
Stomach: The stomach is a muscular sac that mixes and grinds food with gastric juice, which contains hydrochloric acid and enzymes that break down proteins. The stomach also has a thick mucous lining that protects it from the acid.
Small intestine: The small intestine is where most of the nutrients from food are absorbed into the bloodstream. It is about 20 feet long and has three sections: the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum. Enzymes from the pancreas and liver, as well as from the small intestine itself, break down carbohydrates, proteins, and fats into their building blocks. Nutrients are then absorbed through the intestinal lining and transported to the liver.
Large intestine: The large intestine, or colon, is responsible for absorbing water and electrolytes from the remaining food waste, forming feces. The colon is also home to billions of bacteria that help break down certain undigested carbohydrates and produce vitamins like vitamin K.
Rectum: The rectum is the final portion of the large intestine. It stores feces until they are eliminated.
Anus: The anus is the opening at the end of the digestive tract through which feces are eliminated from the body. The anus is surrounded by two circular muscles called sphincters that control bowel movements.
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