Digestive System

By: Dylan C, Anthony R, Anthony S, Shawn R.

The purpose of the digestive system is to digest food and absorb the nutrients.The act of digesting is breaking down food into small molecules,the molecules are then absorbed.The digestive system is spit into two very important parts.The digestive tract is the month, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, and large intestine.Any food eaten passes through the internal cavity of the digestive tract is not considered to have entered the body until it is absorbed by the walls of he digestive tract and posses into blood or lymphatic vessels.

The process of food in the digestive system is done in seven steps:

Ingestion-the act of eating

Propulsion-where the food moves along the digestive track.The primary method of propulsion is peristalsis were a series of contractions and relations of smooth muscles along the walls of the digestive organs forces the food along.

Secretion- The digestive enzymes, along with other substances, adjust the ph balance and chemically breaks down the food.

Mechanical digestion- involves the physical breaking down of the food into more little bits. The process starts with chewing the food and is then continues within the muscular churning in the stomach, More churning is done in the small intestine wall. The whole process is called segmentation, differing from peristalisis in that the constrictions move the food back and forward

Chemical digestion- is when the food is further broken down using chemical means, enzymes in the stomach and small intestines do the job.

Absorption- the molecules go from the digestive tract to adjacent blood and lymphatic vessels.Absorption is where the nutrients go into the rest of the body

Defecation- any materials that where unable to be digested gets discarded through the anus



Body System Disorders

Usually when you have a digestive system disorders, symptoms may vary to

  • Bloating
  • Bleeding
  • Stomach pain
  • Constipation
  • Heartburn
  • Nausea and Vomiting
  • Weight gain/loss
  • 3 common diseases
  • Cancer
  • Irritable bowel syndrome
  • Lactose intolerance (not very severe)
  • Other Diseases



Gallstones, Cholecystitis, and Cholangitis

The Recital issues, including anal tissue, hemroids, and rectal prolapse

Esophagus tissues with structure; etc

Any problems with the stomach, liver, pancreatitis, intestines, gastroesophageal

Diagnose and Diagnosers

  • Tests for problems in the digestive tract, includes colonoscopy, upper GI endoscopy, capsule endoscopy , endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, and endoscopic ultrasound
  • Many diseases can be allibtes through different surgical practices
  • Health Care Providers
  • Gastroenterologist, diagnosis and treatment of conditions that affect the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine (colon), and biliary system
  • Practitioners, GPs provide routine health care
  • Nutritionists, experts in the field of food and nutrition
  • Primary care doctors, physician who provides both the first contact for a person with an undiagnosed health
  • Radiologists, medical doctors that specialize in diagnosing and treating injuries and diseases using medical imaging
  • Surgeons, surgeons diagnose and treat injuries or illnesses.

Interesting Facts

  • The stomach is not the most important part of the digestive system. The small intestine has the biggest role in the digestive system
  • You can actually eat upside down with minimal problems, aside from blood rushing to your head.
  • The stomach has to protect itself from itself because it uses lining to protect itself from the stomach acid, since stomach acids can melt your insides.
  • The small intestine has a big surface area and stretches out to 22 feet long as the visual shows. The small intestine is actually longer than three adults stacked up together!
  • The stomach growls even if you’re not hungry, only because the stomach is a little empty.
  • Your body actually rehydrates after you eat, although it is not as effective as when you drink a liquid.
  • The digestive system is particularly vulnerable to cancer. 270,000 Americans contract cancer in their esophagus, stomach, rectum, and colon per year.
  • Doctors used to treat peptic ulcers wrong. They thought stress and spicy foods caused the sores. It was actually a bacterium. S. The best treatment is antibiotics.
  • There are actually dozens of bacteria in your stomach. They help digest your food!

Best Practices to Maintain Health

  • Get both insoluble and soluble fibers into your diet. They are both beneficial to your digestive system
  • Avoid foods that are too high in fat as they can slow down your digestive system.
  • Lean meats are beneficial to you because they provide proteins that do not damage your digestion of the fatty cuts
  • Eating food with probiotic bacteria would help with the negative effects of a poor diet.
  • Try to eat at a relatively same amount of time each day as this can help the digestive system process food.
  • Make sure you keep hydrated since water can help you down food easily.
  • Exercising often supports the digestive system and is helpful in keeping you at a healthy weight.
  • Avoid stress as it can lead to our digestive system damage itself.
  • Grilling is a good method to prevent a build-up of carcinogen which causes cancer.
  • Eating food can help the digestive tract since they proved nutrients that are very helpful.
  • Factors and Lifestyle that Impose This Body System Negatively
  • Eating protein at night messes up your digestive system and can also give you heartburn
  • Overindulging: eating too much at once can cause bloating and influx
  • Consuming too much alcohol can trigger the digestive tract and cause stomach discomfort and ulcers.
  • Eating your food at a fast rate can cause the stomach to have minimal time to expand, leading to damaging it.
  • Too much liquid in the body can cause and influx.
  • Avoid taking non-steroidal and anti-inflammatory drugs. When consumed too much, these drugs can cause digestive problems by making ulcers in the digestive tract.