Digestive System Functions

Digestive System

The digestive system is a group of organs that work together to break down and absorb food, and eliminate waste.

Functions:

• Ingestion: taking food into the body
• Mechanical digestion: breaking down food into smaller pieces
• Chemical digestion: breaking down food into nutrients using enzymes
• Absorption: absorbing nutrients into the bloodstream
• Elimination: removing waste products from the body

Organs:

• Mouth:
  • Mechanical digestion: chewing food
  • Chemical digestion: salivary enzymes break down carbohydrates
• Esophagus:
  • Transports food from the mouth to the stomach
• Stomach:
  • Mechanical digestion: churning food
  • Chemical digestion: gastric enzymes break down proteins
• Small intestine:
  • Absorption: nutrients absorbed into the bloodstream
  • Chemical digestion: enzymes break down carbohydrates, proteins, and fats
• Liver:
  • Produces bile to aid in fat digestion
  • Detoxifies the blood
• Pancreas:
  • Produces digestive enzymes
  • Regulates blood sugar levels
• Large intestine:
  • Absorption: water and electrolytes absorbed
  • Elimination: waste products eliminated from the body

Accessory organs:

• Gallbladder: stores and releases bile
• Salivary glands: produce saliva to aid in digestion
• Appendix: functions unknown, thought to be vestigial

Digestive System

• The digestive system is a group of organs that work together to break down and absorb food, and eliminate waste.

Functions

• The digestive system performs five main functions: ingestion, mechanical digestion, chemical digestion, absorption, and elimination.

Organs

Mouth

• The mouth performs mechanical digestion through chewing food.
• The mouth also performs chemical digestion through salivary enzymes that break down carbohydrates.

Esophagus

• The esophagus transports food from the mouth to the stomach.

Stomach

• The stomach performs mechanical digestion through churning food.
• The stomach performs chemical digestion through gastric enzymes that break down proteins.

Small Intestine

• The small intestine absorbs nutrients into the bloodstream.
• The small intestine performs chemical digestion through enzymes that break down carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.

Liver

• The liver produces bile to aid in fat digestion.
• The liver detoxifies the blood.

Pancreas

• The pancreas produces digestive enzymes.
• The pancreas regulates blood sugar levels.

Large Intestine

• The large intestine absorbs water and electrolytes.
• The large intestine eliminates waste products from the body.

Accessory Organs

Gallbladder

• The gallbladder stores and releases bile.

Salivary Glands

• The salivary glands produce saliva to aid in digestion.

Appendix

• The appendix has unknown functions, but is thought to be vestigial.