Kirsten Wong and Madhuri Narayan Period 4

What is the main purpose of the Digestive System?

 To absorb and break down food eaten  Use for energy and cell nourishment

What are the different organs that make up this system?

 Process starts here  Where food first broken down

 Located near trachea  Receives food from mouth  Uses muscular contractions (peristalsis), delivers food to stomach

 Holds food  Mix with enzymes and various acids  Breaks down food further  After broken down sufficiently, released into small intestine

 Made of 3 segments: Duodenum, Jejunum, and Ileum  Duodenum responsible for breakdown process  Jejunum and Ileum responsible for absorption of nutrients  22 feet long  Break down food using enzymes from pancreas and bile from liver

 Secretes into duodenum  Enzymes break down the protein, fats, and carbohydrates  Makes insulin, goes directly into bloodstream  Insulin is a very important hormone which helps metabolize sugar

 Process nutrients absorbed in the small intestine  Takes raw materials and makes them into chemicals  Detoxifies harmful chemicals  Breaks down drugs taken

 Stores and concentrates bile, release into the duodenum  Help digest and absorb fats

 6 feet; connects stomach and rectum  Process wastes, making the emptying of bowels easy  Waste left over passed through colon, first in liquid form, then solid; water is removed  Stool held in colon, until emptied into the rectum; empties once or twice a day  Takes 36 hours for stool (debris and bacteria) travel through colon

 8 inch chamber which connects colon and anus  Receives stool from colon, holds until it is released  When enters, a sensor is sent to the brain, which decides if it needs to be emptied or not

 2 inch canal; contains two sphincter muscles (internal and external)  Lining of upper anus is specialized to detect rectal contents (solid, liquid, or gas)  Surrounded by sphincter muscles which are important in the control of stool  Internal sphincter is always tight, except when stool enters  External sphincter holds the stool in until it is released

What are the strengths of the Digestive System?

 The long length of the digestive system allows it to effectively extract most nutrients from food.  The stool that is expelled from the body is usually very dry because most of the nutrients and water is absorbed in the body.

What are the weaknesses of the Digestive System?

 The digestive system has many parts, with each part playing an important role in digestion  Each part can be affected by disease  If one part fails to perform, the whole digestive system can be affected

 The digestive system can be easily affected by the food and drink we take in  For example, if we eat unsafe or uncooked food, we can get food poisoning or other diseases

What are some diseases that affect the digestive system?

 Appendicitis occurs when the appendix becomes diseased and inflamed. This usually happens if there is an obstruction that causes bacteria to multiply  The treatment is surgery to remove the diseased appendix

 Celiac disease occurs when the body cannnot tolerate gluten, a protein in wheat or rye  The body has an abnormal reaction when the person ingests gluten.  The body destroys the villi, small folds that absorb nutrients, in the small intestine, which can lead to a problem absorbing nutrients  The only treatment is to keep a diet free of gluten

 Occurs when the esophageal sphincter does not close properly  Causes acid indigestion, which causes burning sensations in the chest or throat  Treatments include a change in lifestyle: losing weight, quitting smoking, balanced diet  Medicines can also be used to prevent acid reflux

LifestyleBalanced Diet  Exercise regularly  Manage stress levels  Quit smoking or don’t smoke  Eat fiber-rich foods  Eat moderately and slowly  Reduce processed food and fat intake  Take medications as directed  Drink plenty of fluids (not soda or alcohol)

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