1. The Digestive System By Nicholas Wernsing

2. Major Parts and Functions of the Digestive System Salivary Glands- The salivary gland helps break down food. Esophagus-The esophagus has strong muscles that push food down to the stomach. Stomach-The acid in the stomach breaks food down into a soupy mixture and passes it to the small intestine. Small Intestine-The small intestine does most of the digestion and absorption of nutrients and minerals. Large Intestine-The large intestine absorbs the rest of the water from the indigestible food matter and transmits the waste out of the body.

3. Major Parts and Functions of the Digestive System Rectum-The rectum disposes of the left over waste that wasn’t able to be digested. The Liver-The liver detoxifies chemicals, and makes proteins. The Pancreas-The pancreas creates hormones.

4. Nutrients Absorbed or Digested in the Digestive System The nutrients absorbed in the digestive system are fats, protein, vitamins, water and salt.

5. Digestive System Health Concerns Celiac Disease Celiac disease is where the small intestine is hypersensitive to gluten, leading to difficulty in digesting food. Lactose Intolerant Lactose intolerance is a disorder consisting of an inability to digest milk products and eating/drinking milk products results in an inability to hydrolyze lactose.