Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
B3.2 The human digestive system - Coggle Diagram
B3.2 The human digestive system
What is the digestive system
The digestive system is a system in which food is broken down and where nutrients are absorbed into the bloodstream while anything that is not needed is removed from your body as waste material like poo.
6 to 9m long
Glands make and release digestive juices containing ENZYMES to break down food.
Enzyemes break down large
INSOLUBLE
food molecules into small
SOLUBLE
ones.
What organs are in your digestive system
Liver
Produces bile
Digestion of lipids.
Small inestine
Stomach
Trachea
Large intestine
Pancreas
Mouth
Diafragm
Gall Blader
Duodenum
Bile Duct
Appendix
Rectum
Anus
What do the organs do?
Stomach
The stomach is an important organ in the digestive system. When you eat food, it travels down your esophagus and enters the stomach. Here's what happens inside:
Mechanical digestion
: The stomach muscles mix the food and break it down into smaller pieces by churning and grinding it. This helps to make the food easier to digest.
Chemical digestion
: The stomach produces gastric juices that contain acids and enzymes. The acid helps break down food and kill harmful bacteria, while the enzymes start breaking down proteins in the food.
Storage
: The stomach holds the food until it’s ready to move into the small intestine. It doesn’t just digest food right away; it holds onto it for a while to break it down properly.
Absorption
: Although most of the absorption of nutrients happens in the small intestine, the stomach absorbs some substances like water, alcohol, and certain medications.
In short, the stomach helps break down the food you eat into smaller, simpler molecules so your body can use the nutrients for energy and growth.
Small intestine
The small intestine is where most of the digestion and absorption of food happens after it leaves the stomach. It’s long and coiled, and it has three main parts: the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum.
Digestion
: After the food enters the small intestine from the stomach, it mixes with digestive juices from the pancreas and liver. These juices help break down proteins, fats, and carbohydrates into smaller molecules, making it easier for the body to absorb them.
Absorption
: The small intestine is lined with tiny hair-like structures called villi. These villi have even tinier structures called microvilli, which increase the surface area to help absorb nutrients. As the digested food moves through the small intestine, nutrients like sugars, amino acids, fats, vitamins, and minerals are absorbed into the bloodstream.
Transportation
: After the nutrients are absorbed, the leftover waste moves into the large intestine for further processing.
In short, the small intestine is where most of the food you eat gets broken down into smaller parts and where your body absorbs the nutrients it needs.