Digestive Tract

Digestive Tract
The digestive tract (or gut) is a long twisting tube that starts at the mouth and ends at the anus. It is made up of a series of muscles that coordinate the movement of food andother cells that produce enzymes and hormones to aid in the breakdown of food.
Mouth: The digestive tract first begins here when we are chewing the food with our teeth; then it mixes with the saliva tomake a soft ball of food, then the ball moves into the esophagus.
Esophagus: the tube that carries the food ball from the mouth and takes from 4 to 10 seconds to take it to the stomach by muscularmovements called peristalsis.
Stomach: It is a muscular bag that can grow and shrink. Chemicals are mixed with food in order to break it down, this process occurs in a time of from 2 to 4 hours untilfood transforms into a liquid called chyme. This process occurs with the contraction of this muscle.
Liver: The liver has multiple functions, but its main function within the digestive system is toprocess the nutrients absorbed from the small intestine. Bile from the liver secreted into the small intestine also plays an important role in digesting fat. In addition, the liver is the body’s chemical"factory." It takes the raw materials absorbed by the intestine and makes all the various chemicals the body needs to function. The liver also detoxifies potentially harmful chemicals. It breaks downand secretes many drugs.
Gallbladder: Stores the bile that is produces by the liver, releases it into the duodenum to help absorbing fats.

Pancreas: The pancreas secretes digestive enzymes intothe duodenum, the first segment of the small intestine. These enzymes break down protein, fats, and carbohydrates. The pancreas also makes insulin, secreting it directly into the bloodstream.

Smallintestine: Most of digestion occurs in the small intestine, chemicals are released to the small intestine to help it to break down fats, carbohydrates and proteins. It is made up of three segments:...