Thedigestive systemis the group of organs that break down food to get to absorb its nutrients.
The nutrients in food are used by the body as fuel to keep all the body systems working.
This article explains how your body’s organs work together to digest food.
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Organs of the Digestive System
Several organs make up the digestive system.
Every organ has a role in breaking down food and managing waste.
Here are the digestive organs in the order in which food travels through them.
Mouth
Digestion starts at the very beginning, with food being chewed in the mouth.
Food is broken down into smaller pieces and the saliva in the mouth begins digesting it.
Esophagus
Theesophagusis a tube inside the throat behind the windpipe.
After food is chewed and swallowed, it travels down through the esophagus to the stomach.
The muscles in the esophagus contract to move food along, which is called peristalsis.
Stomach
After the food is deposited in the stomach, the digestive process continues.
The food is mixed with the acids andenzymesthat are secreted from the stomach wall.
After the food is thoroughly broken down, it’s moved along into the small intestine.
More enzymes are added into the small intestine as the food moves through to help facilitate the process.
Thelarge intestineis where much of the water is absorbed from the waste material.
When you consciously relax your external sphincter, the stool can then leave the body.
This is true in particular cases of cancer and in severe cases ofinflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
U.S. National Library of Medicine.
