Meaning of digestive system (What is it, Concept and Definition)

What is the digestive system:

The digestive system is composed of a set of organs that are responsible for carrying out the digestion process .These organs make up a kind of long tube where food travels to be processed and absorbed.

Through the digestive system our body can transform the food we consume into simpler substances, that is, nutrients.

Nutrients are transported by blood throughout the body, to be used and transformed into energy, which we need to perform our daily activities.

Parts of the digestive system

The digestive system is composed of several organs responsible for transforming food into smaller particles, so that they can be used by the body's cells.From the mouth to the anus the digestive tract is eleven meters long.

Mouth

In the mouth the process of digestion begins.The teeth they crush the food we eat so that they can be transported through the pharynx, the esophagus and finally reach the stomach.The tongue, on the other hand, is a muscle that helps in chewing and transporting food to the esophagus.

In the mouth there are also salivary glands that generate saliva and allow mixing food and swallowing, that is, its passage through the pharynx and esophagus.

Faringe

It is located behind the mouth, is shaped like a tube and connects to the nose, esophagus and larynx.Through the pharynx pass all the food we consume and the air we breathe, therefore, this organ It is part of both the digestive system and the respiratory system.

However, in the pharynx is the epiglottis, a kind of valve that prevents food from being directed towards the respiratory tract.

Esophagus

It is a duct that measures 30 centimeters and communicates the pharynx with the stomach.Ructura is formed by muscles that allow its contraction and relaxation for the transport of food.

Stomach

It is a muscular organ in which the ingested food accumulates.The stomach performs a movement which allows the food to be mixed with the gastric juice.Its form can vary according to the amount of food ingested.

The stomach is composed of the heart (where it connects with the esophagus), the fundus or fundus, the gastric body, the antrum and the pylorus (where it joins the small intestine).

See also Digestion.

Liver

The liver is an organ that It performs various functions such as filtering the blood, eliminating toxic substances from the body and producing bile, which allows the absorption of fats from food, among others.

Pancreas

The pancreas is the organ that produces the hormones needed to digest food and controls blood sugar levels.It is located behind the stomach.

Small intestine

The small intestine is a tube that measures approximately seven meters in length.Its main function is to incorporate proteins, vitamins, water, salt, carbohydrates and fats into organism through numerous hairs that are in its inner part.

It starts in the duodenum, behind the pylorus, and ends in the ileum, where it joins the large intestine.It is composed of the duodenum, the jejunum and the ileum.

In the small intestine the process of digestion of food ends, which are degraded into simpler elements for the absorption of nutrients, which pass through the walls of the small intestine to the blood and are used by the cells.

Large intestine

It is a tube where food and water accumulate that the body cannot digest.These substances form the feces that are expelled through the anus.It has a variable length, so it can measure between 120 or 160 ce ntimetros.Initia from the ileocecal valve, the blind, the colon and the rectum.

Year

The anus is the final opening of the digestive system, is composed of muscles called sphincters that control the defecation process.

Functions of the digestive system

The main function of the digestive system is the transport of food and its transformation into nutrients that will be absorbed through the juices digestive and the different processes that the Organs that make up this device.

Nutrients are transported through the blood, specifically, through cells, so they are absorbed and harnessed for our welfare.Once nutrients have been harnessed to the fullest, the body removes wastes or unusable substances from food, through feces.

See also Nutrition.