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The human digestive system consists of the gastrointestinal tract plus the accessory organs of digestion (the tongue, salivary glands, pancreas, liver, and gallbladder). Digestion involves the breakdown of food into smaller and smaller components, until they can be absorbed and assimilated into the body.
The gastrointestinal tract (GI tract, digestive tract, alimentary canal) is the tract or passageway of the digestive system that leads from the mouth to the anus. The GI tract contains all the major organs of the digestive system, in humans and other animals, including the esophagus , stomach , and intestines .
In the human digestive system, a bolus (a small rounded mass of chewed up food) enters the stomach through the esophagus via the lower esophageal sphincter. The stomach releases proteases (protein-digesting enzymes such as pepsin), and hydrochloric acid, which kills or inhibits bacteria and provides the acidic pH of 2 for the proteases to work.
This is an accepted version of this page This is the latest accepted revision, reviewed on 4 March 2025. List of organ systems in the human body Part of a series of lists about Human anatomy General Features Regions Variations Movements Systems Structures Arteries Bones Eponymous Foramina Glands endocrine exocrine Lymphatic vessels Nerves Organs Systems Veins Muscles Abductors Adductors ...
Upper and lower human gastrointestinal tract. The esophagus (American English), oesophagus (British English), or œsophagus (archaic spelling) (see spelling difference) all / iː ˈ s ɒ f ə ɡ ə s, ɪ-/ ⓘ; [1] pl.: ((o)e)(œ)sophagi or ((o)e)(œ)sophaguses), colloquially known also as the food pipe, food tube, or gullet, is an organ in vertebrates through which food passes, aided by ...
The colon of the large intestine is the last part of the digestive system. It has a segmented appearance due to a series of saccules called haustra . [ 9 ] It extracts water and salt from solid wastes before they are eliminated from the body and is the site in which the fermentation of unabsorbed material by the gut microbiota occurs.
The small intestine supports the body's immune system. [20] The presence of gut flora appears to contribute positively to the host's immune system. Peyer's patches, located within the ileum of the small intestine, are an important part of the digestive tract's local immune system. They are part of the lymphatic system, and provide a site for ...
The mucosa is the innermost layer of the gastrointestinal tract. It surrounds the cavity of the tract and comes into direct contact with digested food . The mucosa is made up of three layers: [1] The epithelium is the innermost layer. It is where most digestive, absorptive and secretory processes occur.