Human Digestive System – Anatomy, Functions and Diseases

The Human Digestive System is comprised of the gastrointestinal system and different organs that help the body separate and assimilate food. The human digestive system is a long, winding cylinder that begins at the mouth and goes through the pharynx, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine rectum, and anus.

The human digestive system separates food into supplements like starches, fats, and proteins. They can then be absorbed in the circulatory system so the body can involve them for energy, development, and fixing. Unused materials are disposed of as defecation. Different organs that structure some portions of the human digestive system are the pancreas, liver, and gallbladder.

Human Digestive System

The digestive system of humans is comprised of various organs which work together. Food is digested and essential nutrients are absorbed in the body via blood. Energy is generated via digesting food. The digestive system contains various organs like the alimentary canal and digestive glands. The gastrointestinal tract includes various parts: mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine and large intestine, rectum, and anus.

Digestion is an essential process that helps a living organism to obtain energy from various sources. The complex food is converted into simple food and nutrients which later on are absorbed in the body and provides energy to the living organism. This process is known as digestion. 

Human Digestive System Diagram

Parts of the Human Digestive System

The digestion system includes various organs which work together to digest the food. Following are the various organs involved in the human digestive system are: 

Mouth

The mouth is the initial segment of the intestinal system. It is adjusted to get food by ingestion, break it into little particles by rumination, and blend it in with spit. The lips, cheeks, and sense of taste structure the limits. The oral cavity contains the teeth and tongue and gets the discharges from the salivary organs.

Function

Food begins to travel through your GI tract when you eat. At the point when you swallow, your tongue drives the food into your throat. A little fold of tissue called the epiglottis, folds over your windpipe to forestall gagging and the food passes into your throat.

Tongue 

The tongue controls food in the mouth and is utilized in discourse. The surface is covered with papillae that give grating and contain the taste buds. At the point when somebody eats, the teeth bite food into tiny pieces. Organs in the cheeks and under the tongue produce spit that covers the food, making it simpler to be bitten and gulped. Spit likewise contains proteins that begin to process the carbs in food.

Teeth 

The human mouth has three fundamental sorts of teeth: incisors, canines, premolars, and molars. Teeth are like bones, however, they are significantly more grounded. 

Function of Teeth

• Teeth helps in masticating the food
• They also help in in speech and correct pronunciation
• Teeth also responsible for the shape of face

Salivary Gland

The primary capability of spit are:

• Helps in processing
• Helps to bite and gulp.
• Greasing up impact: saturates within the mouth and makes smoother discourse.
• Dissolvable impact: breaks down food and permits the tongue to taste food.

Pharynx

Pharynx is a y-shaped fibromuscular tube attached at the mouth end terminal. It connects the mouth and esophagus. Pharynx helps in passaging of crushed food from the mouth to the esophagus. Pharynx also plays a crucial role in the respiratory system. 

Oesophagus

Oesophagus is the long muscular tube, also known as the food pipe. Oesophagus connects with the pharynx. Chewed food is passed from the food pipe to the stomach. The moment of food in the food pipe is known as peristalsis.

Stomach

The stomach is a solid organ situated on the left half of the upper mid-region (abdominal region). The stomach gets chewed food from the food pipe. As the food arrives at the end of the esophagus, it enters the stomach through a valve called the Lower Esophageal Sphincter (LES).

The stomach secretes various enzymes that digest food. The pyloric sphincter is a solid valve that opens to permit food to pass from the stomach to the small intestine. The stomach wall produces gastric juice (hydrochloric corrosive and digestive enzymes) that digests proteins.

• Mucous: Mucous is produced by the mucous membranes. Mucous helps the stomach layer by protecting it from an acidic environment. 
• Digestive Enzymes: Various digestive enzymes are released in the stomach to digest food by converting complex food into simpler ones.
• Hydrochloric Acid: HCl is released in the stomach. HCl helps in breaking the food.

Small Intestine

The small intestine is the thing long (10 feet) tube. The small intestine acquires most of the abdominal area. Villi are present on the inner surface of the small intestine which increases the absorption via increasing the surface area.

It is called little since it is around 3.5cm in width, yet giving heaps of region to absorption is around 5m long. A large portion of the substance processing of proteins, fats, and starches is finished in the small digestive system.

Large  Intestine 

The coating of the digestive organ retains water, mineral salts, and nutrients. Undigested fiber is blended in with bodily fluid and microscopic organisms, which halfway separate the fiber to support the cells of the digestive organ wall thus assisting with keeping the internal organ solid. Fecal matter is formed and put away in the last organ of the digestive organ (the rectum) prior to being dropped off the body through the rear end.

Rectum

The lower end of your internal organ, the rectum, stores stool until it pushes stool out of your butt during defecation.

The rectum is the last stop before the fecal matter is discharged out of the human body through the butt centric trench. The electrolytes, for example, sodium, potassium, and chloride are ingested and the unpalatable food fixings are deteriorated by anaerobic microorganisms, like the colon. The stool is thickened by the retention of water and blended in with bodily fluid.

Gastric Glands 

The gastric organs are cylinder-like, expanded structures that are available at the internal coating of the stomach. These organs are the fundamental secretory unit of the stomach related system and are made out of different cell parts which carry out specific roles.

Process of Digestion

Process of Digestion in Human beings is a complex proces which involves various of step including:

1. Ingestion: This is first step in food digestion which involves uptake of food via mouth.
2. Mastication or mechanical digestion: In this process food is broken down into smaller pieces which makes it to process it faster through Digestive enzymes.
3. Carbohydrate breakdown in mouth: Enzyme known as amylase present in saliva start breaking down carbohydrate in mouth.
4. Swallowing of food: Food is now swallowed via esophagus route is known as bolus.
5. Peristalsis: It is an involuntary muscule contraction which moves down food from esophagus to stomach.
6. Stomach: After reaching to stomach, gasteric juices and enzyme pepsine start breaking down food and protein into peptides.
7. Churning: Muscles present in stomach start contracting to mix the food and form as slurry known as chyme.
8. Small Intestine: After chyme formation it enters into small intestine where pancreatic enzyme, bile juice and villi aids in digestion and absorption of nutirents, respectively.
9. Absoprtion of nutrients: Nutrients like carbohydrate, protein, amino acids, glycerol start absorbing from small intestine and reaches to liver.
10. Large intestine: Remaining food particle start forming feces and water and electolytes absorbed.
11. Elimination of fecal material: Defecation is the process through which fecal material excreted from anus.

Regulation of the Human Digestive System 

Your hormones and nerves cooperate to assist with controlling the stomach-related process. Signals stream inside your GI lot and this way and that from your GI parcel to your mind.

Hormone

Cells covering your stomach and small digestive system make and deliver chemicals that control how your stomach-related system functions. These chemicals let your body know when to make stomach-related squeezes and convey messages to your mind that you are eager or full. Your pancreas likewise makes chemicals that mean quite a bit to process.

Nerves

The human body has nerves that associate with the central nervous system cerebrum and spinal cord to the stomach-related system and control a few stomach related capabilities. For instance, when you see or smell food, your mind conveys a message that makes your salivary organs “make your mouth water” to set you up to eat.

Importance of the Human Digestive System

Absorption is significant for separating the food into supplements, which the body utilizes for energy, development, and cell fix. Food and drink should be changed into more modest particles of supplements before the blood retains them and conveys them to cells all through the body. The body separates supplements from food and drinks into starches, protein, fats, and nutrients.

Functions of the Human Digestive System

The human digestive system performs 2 main functions i.e., Digestion and Absorption

• Digestion is crucial for breaking complex food particles into smaller particles.
• These smaller particles are absorbed via the body which helps in cell repair, produces energy, and also helps in cell growth

Disorders of the Human Digestive System

Following are the various disorders related to the human digestive system those are:

• Vomiting
• Constipation
• Indigestion
• Diarrhea

FAQs on Human Digestive System

1. Why is Digestion Important?

Digestion is an important life process. It provides important nutrients to the body which help the body with growth, energy, and cell repair.

2: What is Physical Digestion?

The mechanical breaking of food into small particles is known as physical digestion.

3: How long is the Small Intestine?

The small intestine is the largest tube in the digestive system. It is approximately 22 feet long.

4. Which Organ Produces Bile?

Liver cells produce bile, which secretes into the common bile duct, and later it is stored in the gallbladder.

5: What is the Anatomy and Function of the Digestive System?

The digestive system’s role is to process and absorb food, eliminating waste through the liver, gallbladder, pancreas, small intestine, large intestine, and rectum, with each organ having a specific function.