How does your body turn food into the poo Human digestion system in human
beings.
Overview of the Digestive System.
The digestive process starts in the mouth where mechanical digestion begins as the food is
chewed. Chemical digestion also begins in the mouth when food mixes with saliva which
contains an enzyme called amylase that breaks down carbohydrates. The epiglottis is a
flexible flap at the end of the larynx in the throat that acts as a switch between the airway to
the lungs and the esophagus to permit air and food to pass respectively. The esophagus is a
muscular tube connecting the throat with the stomach which moves swallowed food down to
the stomach through peristaltic action.
The stomach is a rounded and hollow J-shaped organ located between the esophagus and
the duodenum. The stomach has three mechanical tasks to do. First, it stores the swallowed
food and liquid in the upper part of the stomach which relaxes to accept large volumes of
swallowed material. The inner layer of the stomach is full of wrinkles called rugae which
allow the stomach to stretch in order to accommodate large meals and help to grip and move
food during digestion. Second, it mixes up the food liquid with digestive juice produced by
the stomach, and breaks down the food to tiny particles in 3 millimeters. Finally, it empties
this acidy mash slowly into the small intestine.
The small intestine is an organ in the gastrointestinal tract where most of the end absorption
of nutrients and minerals from food takes place. It lies between the stomach and large
intestine. The duodenum is the first part of the small intestine which receives partially
digested food from the stomach and begins the absorption of nutrients. The pancreatic juices
and bile that are released into the duodenum help the body to digest fats, carbohydrates,
and proteins. As a person grows, the small intestine increases 20 times in length from about
200 cm in a newborn to almost 6 m in an adult. The inner walls of the small intestine show
mucosal folds called the plicae circulares which are more numerous in the early part and
reduce in numbers in the later part and are completely absent.
Importance of Digestion.
Digestion is important because your body needs nutrients from food and drink to work
properly and stay healthy. Proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and water are
nutrients your digestive system breaks down into parts small enough for your body to absorb
and use for energy growth, and cell repair. What is left over, which is mostly liquid, then
moves into the colon. The water is absorbed in the colon. Bacteria in the colon break down
the remaining material. Then the colon moves the leftover material into the rectum. The
rectum is like a storage-holder for this waste. Muscles in the rectum move the waste, called
stool, out of the body through the anus.
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