Intro to the Digestive System
The digestive system, also known as the Gastrointestinal
tract or the Alimentary tract, is a long tube that is located
between the mouth and the rectum. The digestive system provides
the body with fuel and performs many other chemical exchanges. It
consists of a muscular tube, the digestive tract and various
accessory organs. The food you eat goes through the digestive
tract.
The digestive system is made up of several organs. Each organ
is responsible for a specific task when digesting food. The
organs that make up the digestive system are: the mouth, pharynx,
esophagus, stomach, small intestine, and large intestine. There
are also other organs called the accessory organs. The accessory
organs consist of the liver, gall bladder, and pancreas.
The digestive system mixes, mashes, and breaks down foods
into nutrients that the body can use. The digestion process
begins as you take your first bite of food and ends as your body
disposes of unnecessary products called bile. The primary organs
do most of the work when digesting food and the accessory organs
process the nutrients, store the bile, and secrete and absorb
digestive enzymes.