“The gastrointestinal tract is part of an organ system in humans and other animals that takes in food, digests it, absorbs nutrients, and expels it out in the form of feces.”
The gastrointestinal tract in humans begins at the mouth, continuing through the esophagus, stomach, and small and large intestines. The GI tract is about 9 meters in length. There are many supporting organs, such as the liver, which helps by secreting enzymes that are necessary for the digestion of food.
The human GI tract can be divided into two halves, namely:
•Upper GI tract
• Lower GI tract
Upper Gastrointestinal Tract
The upper GI consists of the following organs:
Mouth
It includes the teeth, tongue, and buccal mucous membranes containing the ends of the salivary glands that continue with the soft palate, floor of the mouth, and underside of the tongue. The mouth functions by chewing the food, constantly by the muscular action of the tongue, cheeks, and teeth through the lower jaw and upper jaw.
Pharynx
The neck encloses the pharynx, and it serves as a component of both the digestive system and the respiratory system. It safeguards against food entering the trachea and lungs.
Oesophagus
A muscular tube-like structure carries food to the stomach. When the chewed food moves from the mouth to the esophagus, the act of swallowing becomes involuntary and the esophagus controls it.
Stomach
This is where most of the digestion takes place. The stomach is a J-shaped bag-like organ that stores food temporarily, breaks it down, mixes and churns it with enzymes and other digestive fluids, and finally passes it along to the small intestine.
The lower GI consists of the following organs:
Small Intestine
The small intestine, a coiled, thin tube approximately 6 meters long, primarily absorbs nutrients by mixing food with enzymes from the liver and pancreas and transferring them into the bloodstream for the body’s use.
Large Intestine
The large intestine, also called the colon, wraps around the small intestine as a thick tubular organ.Its primary function is to process the waste products and absorb any remaining nutrients and water back into the system. The body then discharges the remaining waste as stool from the rectum.
