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4: Digestive System

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    This chapter outlines the structure and function of the gastrointestinal tract and accessory organs of digestion. It explains the processes of peristalsis, mechanical and chemical digestion of food, and absorption of nutrients. The chapter also describes several disorders of the gastrointestinal tract.

    • 4.1: Case Study: Food Processing
      Rania can't eat gluten, because she has celiac disease. For her and others with the disease, eating even very small amounts of gluten causes an autoimmune reaction that results in damage to the small, finger-like villi lining the small intestine, causing them to become inflamed and flattened. As you read this chapter and learn about how the digestive system works, you will see just how important the villi of the small intestine are to the body as a whole. At the end of the chapter, you will lear
    • 4.2: Introduction to the Digestive System
      The digestive system consists of organs that break down food, absorb its nutrients, and expel any remaining waste. Organs of the digestive system are shown in the following figure. Most of these organs make up the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Food actually passes through these organs. The rest of the organs of the digestive system are called accessory organs. These organs secrete enzymes and other substances into the GI tract, but food does not actually pass through them.
    • 4.3: Digestion and Absorption
      Digestion of food is a form of catabolism, in which the food is broken down into small molecules that the body can absorb and use for energy, growth, and repair. Digestion occurs when food is moved through the digestive system. It begins in the mouth and ends in the small intestine. The final products of digestion are absorbed from the digestive tract, primarily in the small intestine. There are two different types of digestion that occur in the digestive system: mechanical digestion and chemica
    • 4.4: Upper Gastrointestinal Tract
      Besides the esophagus, organs of the upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract include the mouth, pharynx, and stomach. These hollow organs are all connected to form a tube through which food passes during digestion. The only role in digestion played by the pharynx and esophagus is to move food through the GI tract. The mouth and stomach, in contrast, are organs where digestion, or the breakdown of food, also occurs. In both of these organs, food is broken into smaller pieces and broken down chemically.
    • 4.5: Lower Gastrointestinal Tract
      Most of the bacteria that normally live in the lower gastrointestinal (GI) tract live in the large intestine. They have important and mutually beneficial relationships with the human organism. We provide them with a great place to live, and they provide us with many benefits, some of which you can read about below. Besides the large intestine and its complement of helpful bacteria, the lower GI tract also includes the small intestine. The latter is arguably the most important organ of the digest
    • 4.6: Accessory Organs of Digestion
      Accessory organs of digestion are organs that secrete substances needed for the chemical digestion of food but through which food does not actually pass as it is digested. Besides the liver, the major accessory organs of digestion are the gallbladder and pancreas. These organs secrete or store substances that are needed for digestion in the first part of the small intestine, the duodenum, where most chemical digestion takes place.
    • 4.7: Disorders of the Gastrointestinal Tract
      Inflammatory bowel disease is a collection of inflammatory conditions primarily affecting the intestines. The two principal inflammatory bowel diseases are Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Unlike Crohn's disease, which may affect any part of the GI tract and the joints as well as the skin, ulcerative colitis mainly affects just the colon and rectum. Both diseases occur when the body's own immune system attacks the digestive system.
    • 4.8: Case Study Conclusion: Celiac and Chapter Summary
      Bread and pasta are traditionally made with wheat, which contains proteins called gluten. As you learned in the beginning of the chapter, even trace amounts of gluten can damage the digestive system of people with celiac disease. When Rania and Tui met for lunch, Rania chose a restaurant that she knew could provide her with gluten-free options. Gluten is clearly dangerous for people with celiac disease, but should people who do not have celiac disease or other diagnosed medical problems with glu

    Thumbnail: Scheme of digestive tract, with esophagus marked. ( CC BY-SA 2.5; Olek Remesz).

    This page titled 4: Digestive System is shared under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Tara Jo Holmberg via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform.