Digestive System

The digestive system is the system of organs responsible for digestion. Digestion is the process by which animals break down food into smaller components, physically and chemically, to absorb nutrients. The mouth, esophagus, stomach, duodenum, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, small intestine, large intestine, and anus are all organs belonging to the digestive system. In the mouth, teeth break down food into smaller pieces, and the amylase in saliva breaks down starch into maltose. Food swallowed from the mouth travels down the esophagus to the stomach. In the stomach, gastric acid is secreted to break down food. The liver produces bile, which is stored in the gallbladder. The pancreas secretes pancreatic juice, containing digestive enzymes like amylase, trypsin, and lipase, and sends it to the duodenum. In the small intestine, pancreatic juice, digestive juices, and bile are used to completely break down food, and nutrients are absorbed through the villi from the liquefied food. In the large intestine, water is absorbed from the remaining waste, which then exits the body through the anus.