The Human System of Digestion and What It’s All About

by E-NewsCast Team
March 13th, 2010

When you put food into your mouth it may seem like a short process to you. It may just seem as simple as into your mouth through your stomach and then it will be secreted sooner or later. However, the digestion process is a whole lot longer and complicated than that.

First when you place food into your mouth, your teeth starts to break it down. An adult is packed with thirty two teeth. Different teeth are for different purposes, for example the molar teeth are flat rounded teeth are used for grinding food particles such as fruits and vegetables.

There are also canine teeth which are more useful for tearing and ripping foods such as meat. In your mouth there is a small organ called the tongue. This organ job is the position food, aid in speech and also aid in swallowing. When you chew food it mixes with saliva. Saliva is a mixture of water and proteins. When you swallow the food is pushed to the pharynx. It is very important to take your time to chew your food in order to minimize the risk of choking. The food is than contracted into the esophagus and than ends up in the stomach.

Stomach

The stomach is a muscular and very elastic organ that is shaped like a sac. It fluctuates in size and shape according to how much food is placed into it. Its capacity is about 1 qt for an adult. The first place that women start to put on weight is usually in the hip area. The place that men put on weight first is the stomach area. That’s why the guys that overindulge in beer and alcohol appear to be pregnant with triplets. The stomach basically mix and store food, secrete substances that help dissolve break down food, and it helps control the flow of food into the small intestine. Everyday your stomach secretes about two litters of hydrochloric acid. This and mucus, and other substances make up the gastric fluid in your stomach which helps to form food into a thick substance called chyme. However we all have a protective lining in the stomach called the glandular epithelium which protects our stomach from having a whole burned through it. If we didn’t had this protective lining, or if it became damaged some how than we have some serious medical problems like ulcers for one.

The Small Intestine

The small intestine has three regions. The jejunum, ileum, and the duodenum. The small intestine is about six meters long and is coiled around the abdominal area. About 95 percent of fluid is absorbed around the intestinal area. The small intestine is where the extension of digestion occurs. This organ helps break down the organic compounds into amino acids, monosaccharide, monoglycerides, and fatty acids.

Large Intestine

Food particles that has not been digested or absorbed goes to the large intestine (colon). Foods that are abundant in cholesterol, sugar, and salt makes it difficult for the excretion process. The longer the material is in contact with the colon lining the more damage it will cause around that area. This may increase one’s risk of colon cancer. Also, when feces are very hard it may rupture the appendix. This may lead to health problems such as an inflamed appendix and other health hazards because of all the bacteria that is present in that area.

Doug Purcell
Certified Personal Trainer
Alternative Medicine Expert
Owner of www.cardiacgym.com

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