The digestive tract includes the mouth, esophagus, stomach,intestines, and anus.
The Mouth
Digestion begins in your mouth.
The Esophagus
Youresophagusis a flattened muscular tube that connects your mouth to your stomach.
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As food is swallowed, your esophagus expands.
It takes food about three seconds to pass through your esophagus, depending on the texture and consistency.
Inside yourstomach, food is mixed withenzymesandaciduntil it becomes a liquid, calledchyme.
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If parts of these organs become seriously diseased, they may require surgical removal.
When this happens, anostomymay be necessary to aid digestion and elimination.
The Rectum
The rectum is the last organ of the digestive system.
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The Pancreas
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The pancreas is another “accessory” digestion-related organs.
It also secretes insulin, which helps your body regulate your blood sugar.
The Liver
Your liver has many functions.
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First, it produces bile, which the small intestine uses to help digest the fats in food.
Your small intestine uses bile to digest fats.
Most people never think about theirgallbladderuntil a problem withgallstones or gallbladder disease, such ascholecystitis, develops.
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If you have a gallbladder-related disease, you may experience jaundice.
This happens when the bile cannot leave the gallbladder.
Diseases in these organs can impact overall digestive health.
Saliva contains a number of enzymes.fotolinchen/E+/Getty Images
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