Digestive system – functions. Elements of the digestive system and their role

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The digestive system plays an extremely important role in the human body. It is responsible for nutrition – one of the most important functions of the human body. What is worth knowing about this system? Here is some information about the digestive system and how its organs function.

What is the digestive system?

The digestive system is a system of interconnected organs whose task is to provide the body with food necessary for survival. Thanks to him, he receives the ingredients needed to build tissues and fuel all life processes. The digestive system provides the body with water in addition to nutrients. The activities that the digestive system is responsible for include: digesting, absorbing and moving ingredients.

The entire system is a brilliantly “designed” structure. Its individual elements work closely together and are interdependent. Before they are assimilated, nutrients are crushed, digested and finally broken down into chemical compounds. This is how you can describe the functioning of the entire digestive system in a nutshell. The structure of the digestive system depends on the digested food – e.g. in predators it is shorter than in herbivores.

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Read more on digestion

Digestive system – what does it consist of?

The digestive system is a series of closely related elements.

The digestive tract consists of:

1. oral cavity,
2. throat
3. esophagus
4. stomach,
5. small intestine,
6. large intestine,
7. sales.

Digestive glands:

1. salivary glands,
2. liver,
3. pancreas.

Digestive system – the role of the oral cavity

It consists of the vestibule and the oral cavity, separated from each other by the jaw, mandible and teeth. The main function of the mouth is digestionbecause this is where the food is fragmented, which then goes to the next parts of the system. In the mouth, with the help of teeth and saliva, a bite is formed, then it hits the throat and esophagus.

Read more on oral hygiene

Thanks to the taste buds in the mouth, we can taste our dishes. Receptors are found on both the tongue and the epiglottis, the upper esophagus, and the pharyngeal epithelium. However, we do not feel the taste sensations until the food is dissolved by the saliva. There used to be a perception that language is divided into sectors responsible for the perception of individual tastes. The thesis turned out to be untrue. We can feel all information about the taste of a dish throughout the mouth.

Thanks to the oral cavity, we can also breathe. This is where the oxygen first goes. However, in this way, untreated and poorly moistened air gets into the lungs. Oral breathing also causes the mucosa to dry out. Gingival fluid, saliva and mucosa are constantly produced in the mouth to prevent infection. This defense mechanism protects the body against germs.

Read more about what oral health says

Digestive system – the role of the throat

The organ connects the oral and nasal cavities and the larynx with the esophagus. The upper part of the pharynx is located between the soft palate and the base of the skull. The middle part of the organ is located between the edge of the epiglottis and the soft palate. The oral cavity from the throat is separated, among others, by root of the tongue. The function of the throat in the digestive system includes: delivering air to the larynx.

In the digestive system, the throat has a protective function. It works in such a way that, when there is a risk of aspiration, a gag reflex or coughing occurs which prevents the dangerous movement of food ingredients and foreign bodies. The throat is also an element of the speech apparatus. Thanks to it, the voice acquires the right strength and timbre.

An important element of the throat is the lymphatic ring in it, also known as the Waldeyer ring. It is made up of lymphatic tissue clusters and the immunity of the human body largely depends on it. The Waldeyer ring produces lymphocytes and antibodies. It consists of, among others individual pharyngeal tonsils, trumpet tonsils, lingual tonsils, palatine tonsils and trumpetopharyngeal folds.

Read more about visiting an ENT specialist

Digestive system – the role of the esophagus

The esophagus is another vital component of the digestive system. Its wall is made of smooth and striated muscles. The esophagus has three strictures, the first of which is the upper stricture (the passage of the pharynx into the esophagus). The second is the central stenosis at the site of the trachea’s bifurcation. The third one is the inferior stricture, which is the esophageal sphincter. The main function of the esophagus is to transport food from the mouth to the stomach.

Swallowing is a reflex independent of the human will. When the crushed food in the mouth enters the throat, the throat-esophageal muscle, also known as the upper esophageal sphincter, relaxes. The function of the organ in question is that the bite moves towards the stomach – this is possible thanks to the peristaltic wave.

The blood reaches the esophagus, among others through the branches of the thoracic aorta and bronchial arteries. In turn, venous blood is drained through the venous vessels. The organ is innervated by the nerves that come out of the upper cervical ganglion and the aortic plexus. It is also worth adding that the mouth and throat are also involved in the swallowing process. The efficiency of the esophageal function depends on the size and consistency of the bite – the human esophagus moves 2 to 4 cm of food per second.

Read more about esophageal cancers

Digestive system – the role of the stomach

The stomach is hook-shaped and is a muscular sac. It connects to the esophagus thanks to the gastric gland. In turn, it is connected to the duodenum by an opening around which there is a circular muscle. The organ is extremely flexible and changes shape depending on what position it is in, although the functions of the stomach remain unchanged. When we eat a large meal, it can resemble a balloon. On the other hand, when we are hungry, it lies in the middle.

There are two functions of the stomach. The first is the mechanical function. Thanks to the muscular tissue, the gastric contents are fragmented, mixed and transported to the next section of the gastrointestinal tract, i.e. to the aforementioned small intestine. However, it is worth remembering that the motor activity of the stomach depends on a given part of it. It works a bit differently in the pyloric part than in the inlet part. In the latter, he stores food; in the first one, it mixes nutrients with digestive juices.

The second function of the stomach, i.e. chemical, is related to the digestive process. The human stomach mainly digests proteins. This is possible due to the acidic pH of the gastric juice. It is he who makes pepsin responsible for the protein digestion process. What’s more, it reduces the action of a substance in saliva called amylase. Then, thanks to pancreatic, intestinal and bile juices, individual components are digested, i.e. carbohydrates, fats and the aforementioned protein.

Read more on urine amylase

The human stomach also has a bactericidal function. Gastric juice is effective in destroying fungi, viruses, bacteria and certain pathogens. Its low pH means that these infections are automatically removed. Viruses enter the stomach through the ingestion. Sometimes they can cause many serious diseases, such as gastritis. However, there are still pathogens that are resistant to gastric juice.

To improve the functioning of the digestive system, use herbal preparations, eg LaxiCortex for the digestive system Herbal Monasterium available on Medonet Market.

Digestive system – the role of the small intestine

The length of the small intestine ranges from 6 to 8 meters in an adult. The organ is the longest part of the entire digestive tract and is located between the large intestine and the stomach. At the beginning and end it is closed with the pyloric and ileocecal valves, which are divided into duodenum, ileum and jejunum. The ileocecal valve forms the boundary between the small and large intestines. Thanks to it, the bacterial flora does not enter the small intestine.

The organ produces digestive juice, which includes epithelial cells and solutions with digestive enzymes such as proteases and oligopeptides. The production of intestinal juice is stimulated by the chyme. The function of the small intestine in the digestive system is also important as it enables the digestion of food components. Protein degradation is enabled by trypsin and chymotrypsin; the breakdown of fats is enabled by lipase. The ileum is a significant part of the length of the small intestine.

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Digestive system – the role of the large intestine

Every year, research on the function of the large intestine brings more and more interesting conclusions. There is a thesis in the scientific world that the large intestine is almost the second brain. Although it is three times shorter than the small intestine, it has a much more important function than just the formation of fecal masses and the absorption of food. The digestive tract organ in question consists of:

1. cecum,
2. ascendant,
3. crossmember,
4. descendants,
5. sissy,
6. rectum,
7. sales.
8. appendicitis.

The organ is at the end of the digestive system. This is where food residues that have not been digested are turned into feces and disposed of. There are also microorganisms in the large intestine that are responsible for the production of vitamins. Thanks to them, the body can function properly. The cecum is the thickest and the first section of the large intestine. This episode also includes a blind intestine, professionally called an appendix.

The effectiveness of the large intestine is judged by its mobility. The bigger it is, the better the organ works. It is highly dependent on hormones such as motilin and catecholamine. Although they are produced in the small intestine, they have a great influence on the work of the large intestine. It is worth mentioning that both substances have no effect on the length of the intestines in humans.

The main functions of the large intestine are the formation and excretion of fecal masses, the absorption of water, electrolytes and compaction of what is in the intestine. The large intestine recovers water, electrolytes, chlorine and sodium lost, for example, during diarrhea. The organ is also responsible for the production of vitamins B and K by symbiotic bacteria. Although the intestine is not an organ that produces digestive juices, bacteria live in its lumen that limit the development of pathogenic bacterial flora.

Salivary glands, liver and pancreas – glands in the digestive system

The salivary glands are a gland in the digestive system that produces saliva. It is the exocrine gland that the body is endowed with. Every person has six saliva-producing glands. What’s more, they are supported by other small glands that can be found on the surface of the mucosa, e.g. in the throat. The salivary glands are made up of output tubules and parenchyma.

There are three types of large salivary glands in the digestive system. The largest of these are the parotid glands. Their weight ranges from 30 to 40 g. They are located on both sides of the face. This type of organ consists of a surface part and a deep part that delimits the facial nerve. The surface layer, also known as the superficial layer, is located somewhat on the masseter muscle.

The liver is the largest gland in the digestive system. The male liver weighs between 1500 and 1700 g; a woman’s liver weighs between 1300 and 1500 g. It should be added, however, that this mass increases when the organ is filled with blood. The organ is under the rib on the right side. The liver has four lobes and is covered by the peritoneum. It is also doubly vascularized.

See also what is cirrhosis of the liver

The pancreas is located in the upper abdomen. It is a gland responsible for the secretion of hormones that affect the metabolism of carbohydrates. Pancreatic juice allows the digestion of proteins and fats. The organ is located in the upper abdomen and weighs 60 to 125 g. Its flesh is soft, surrounded by the pancreatic ducts.

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