The Digestive System.

Authors Avatar

THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM

The digestive system is a series of hollow organs joined in a long, twisting tube from the mouth to the anus. Inside this tube is a lining called the mucosa. In the mouth, stomach, and small intestine, the mucosa contains tiny glands that produce juices to help digest food. Two solid organs, the liver and the pancreas, produce digestive juices that reach the intestine through small tubes. In addition, parts of other organ systems (for instance, nerves and blood) play a major role in the digestive system.

LIVER

The liver is such an important organ in the human body that without it we’d only survive for 24 hours, and it’s one of the few organs that has the power to regenerate when it gets damaged. It takes its  supply directly from the  system, to make sure that it gets all the nourishment it needs. The liver plays several vital roles. Firstly it generates bile, which is important for digesting fats. Secondly, it stores sugar in the form of glycogen, so that the body can get energy from the sugar in the liver, rather than having to use alternative energy sources such as fat. The liver also makes many of the proteins found in our blood as well as making cholesterol, which is vital for the production of several . While the body's blood supply is passing through the liver, the blood takes up the compounds that the liver has synthesized, as well as the liver absorbing vital nutrients from the blood, before the blood supply passes on to nourish the rest of the body.

Join now!

PANCREAS

The pancreas is an incredible organ that is found under the stomach. It plays a dual role in helping us get the most out of food. The pancreas produces many of the digestive enzymes that we need, which are poured into the . It also produces bicarbonate (NaHCO3), which neutralizes the acid that comes from the . Stomach acid is so strong that without the neutralizing effects of the bicarbonate it would destroy the digestive enzymes produced by the pancreas. The pancreas is an important member of the  system, the body's mechanism for making hormones, which are then circulated ...

This is a preview of the whole essay