INFOGRAPHIC

Exploring the digestive system

Your food may travel thousands of miles to reach your plate, but the most complex part of its journey is yet to begin. After it enters your mouth, there remains a further nine metres to travel in the average adult, a route of twists and turns converting organic matter into life-sustaining energy.

ESOPHAGUS

Muscular tube that food travels down from the mouth to the stomach. The esophagus has a mucous membrane of epithelium which has a protective function as well as providing a smooth surface for the passage of food. Due to the high volume of food that is passed over time, this membrane is continuously renewed.

LIVER

The liver is the second-largest organ (after the skin) and is an accessory digestive gland that plays a role in the body’s metabolism. It produces bile and processes nutrients obtained from food.

GALL BLADDER

Stores and concentrates bile, before being released into the small intestine.

RECTUM

Stores waste until it leaves the body through the anus.

MOUTH

The mouth is the first part of the gastrointestinal tract and is equipped with several structures that begin the first processes of digestion. These include salivary glands, teeth and the tongue, helping to break up food into small pieces and mixes it with saliva

PHARYNX

Muscles in the pharynx push the food into the esophagus, allowing the body to swallow.

STOMACH

Stores and breaks up food. Secretes gastric acid, mainly hydrochloric acid and sodium chloride, that get digestion underway. The stomach is a distensible organ and can normally expand to hold about one litre of food.

PANCREAS

Secretes enzymes for the digestion of fats and proteins into the small intestine and regulates blood glucole levels.

SMALL INTESTINE

Is the main site food is digested, Food starts to arrive in the small intestine one hour after it is eaten.

LARGE INTESTINE

Absorbs water from digestive waste and forms and stores feces.