DIGESTIVE SYSTEM and RESPIRATORY SYSTEM.docx

DIGESTIVE SYSTEM The digestive tract, or the gut, and additional organs like the liver, pancreas, and gall bladder comprise the digestive system. It is the process by which your body absorbs nutrients and breaks down food. The oesophagus, stomach, small and large intestines, and anus are all part of...

DIGESTIVE SYSTEM The digestive tract, or the gut, and additional organs like the liver, pancreas, and gall bladder comprise the digestive system. It is the process by which your body absorbs nutrients and breaks down food. The oesophagus, stomach, small and large intestines, and anus are all part of the digestive system, which is a long, twisted tube that begins at the mouth. The digestive system breaks down food into basic nutrients like proteins, lipids, and carbs. Once absorbed into your blood, your body can then use these for energy, growth, and repair. Everything that is not utilized becomes waste and exits the body as faeces. Your digestive system's organs all play crucial roles in the process of digestion. MOUTH Your teeth break up food into tiny bits while you eat. Saliva is produced by glands in your tongue and cheeks, which coat the food. It is now simpler to chew and swallow as a result. Additionally, saliva has digestive enzymes that begin breaking down carbohydrates in food. OESOPHAGUS After food is swallowed, it travels via your oesophagus, a tube, to your stomach. Food enters your stomach through a ring of muscle at the end of the oesophagus, which also prevents stomach contents from returning up the oesophagus. STOMACH In order to aid in digestion and the absorption of vitamins and minerals, your stomach uses liquid gastric acids to break down food. SMALL INTESTINES An adult's small intestine is about five meters long and has numerous folds and bends. Proteins, fatty acids, sugars, vitamins, and minerals can all pass through its wall into the bloodstream more easily due to its large surface area. The small intestine is where the majority of the chemical digestion of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates takes place. THE LARGE INTESTINES, RECTUM AND ANUS Water, vitamins, and minerals are all absorbed by your large intestine. Undigested fibre is combined with bacteria and mucus, which partially breaks it down to maintain the health of the large intestine. Solid bowel movements, also known as faeces or poo, form in the rectum, the last section of the large intestine, and then exit the body through the anus. COMMON HEALTH PROBLEMS OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM Gastro-oesophageal reflux Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) is when stomach content moves from the stomach back up the oesophagus. Because it is acidic, it causes a burning sensation in the chest or throat. Diverticulitis and diverticulosis Diverticulosis is the formation of abnormal pouches in the lower part of the large intestine, and diverticulitis is when these pouches become inflamed or infected. Diverticulosis is common from the age of 40 years and above. Around one in every 2 people over the age of 70 years have the condition. Stomach ulcers Stomach ulcers or peptic ulcers can be found in the stomach or the upper part of the small intestine. Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) bacterium causes most stomach ulcers. Haemorrhoids Haemorrhoids are itchy or painful lumps of swollen veins in and around the anus. Haemorrhoids can cause bleeding and pain. You might notice bright red blood on the toilet paper or in the toilet. Haemorrhoids are diagnosed by a doctor examining the anus and anal canal. Constipation This is where the body is unable to get rid of the waste or stool collected in the rectum, causing the stool to become dry and hard and very painful to pass through the anus. RESPIRATORY SYSTEM The voice box, windpipe, nose, mouth, throat, and lungs are all part of the respiratory system. THE MOUTH AND/OR NOSE These are the entry points for air into the respiratory system. The air is warmed and humidified if it enters the nostrils, also known as the nares. Cilia, which  are tiny hairs that guard the respiratory tract's nasal passageways and other areas by removing dust and other particles that enter the nose through breathing. THE PHARYNX Is also known as the throat, is where the nasal cavity and the mouth meet, marking the meeting point of the two airway openings. Since the pharynx transports both air and food, it is a component of both the respiratory and digestive systems. This pathway splits in two at the base of the pharynx: one for food, leading to the stomach called the oesophagus, and the other for air. When we swallow, a tiny flap of tissue called the epiglottis covers the air-only passage, preventing food and liquid from entering the lungs. THE LARYNX The upper portion of the air-only pipe is known as the larynx, or voice box. There are two vocal cords inside this small tube, and they vibrate to produce sounds. THE TRACHEA The airway continues below the larynx as the trachea, also known as the windpipe. Stiff cartilage rings encircle the trachea, strengthening its walls and preventing it from closing. Additionally, cilia line the trachea, helping to keep fluids and foreign objects out of the lungs by sweeping them from the airway. BRONCHI The trachea splits into two sections at the bottom, known as the bronchi or left and right air tubes that connect to the lungs. Smaller bronchi and even smaller tubes known as bronchioles are formed when the bronchi branch off within the lungs. Alveoli, which are small air sacs where the actual exchange of carbon dioxide and oxygen occurs, is where bronchioles end. The lungs of each individual contain hundreds of millions of alveoli. The bronchial tree is the name given to this network of bronchi, bronchioles, and alveoli. Additionally, the elastic tissues in the lungs allow them to expand and contract without losing their shape. There is a thin lining called the pleura covering them. The thorax, also known as the chest cavity, is the airtight container that holds the heart, lungs, and bronchial tree among other organs. The diaphragm, a large muscle, forms the bottom of the thorax, while the ribs and muscles that are attached to them form the top and sides. The lungs and other contents of the chest cavity are encased in a protective cage made of the chest walls. How Do the Respiratory System and Lungs Function? For our bodies' cells to remain alive and healthy, oxygen is necessary. Our bodies produce carbon dioxide while cells carry out their functions. The respiratory system, which includes the lungs, permits the body to absorb oxygen from the surrounding air and remove carbon dioxide from the air. The diaphragm goes down toward the abdomen during inhalation, and the ribs are drawn upward and outward by the rib muscles. This widens the chest cavity and forces air into the lungs through the mouth or nose. In exhalation, the diaphragm moves upward, and the chest wall muscles relax, causing the chest cavity to get smaller and push air out of the lungs through the nose or mouth. Air fills most of the millions of alveoli every few seconds during inhalation. The capillaries, or tiny blood vessels, lining the alveolar walls allow oxygen to move from the alveoli into the blood. Once in the bloodstream, red blood cells' haemoglobin absorbs oxygen. After returning to the heart, this oxygen-rich blood is pumped to all of the body's oxygen-hungry tissues via the arteries. Haemoglobin is broken free in the body's minuscule capillaries, allowing oxygen to enter the cells. The carbon dioxide produced by the cells during their activity leaves the cells and enters the capillaries, where the majority of it dissolves in the blood plasma. The veins then carry carbon dioxide-rich blood back to the heart. This blood is pumped to the lungs by the heart, where it enters the alveoli and exhales carbon dioxide.