Question

Briefly describe the path of food through the digestive system and explain each organ’s role in the digestive process. Research two digestive dysfunctions that can occur and discuss how each of them could impact a person’s health.

Answer 1

Digestion is the complex process of turning the food you eat into nutrients, which the body uses for energy, growth and cell repair needed to survive. The digestion process also involves creating waste to be eliminated

Path of food through the digestive system

Stop 1: The Mouth

The mouth is the beginning of the digestive system, and, in fact, digestion starts here before you even take the first bite of a meal The smell of food triggers the salivary glands in your mouth to secrete saliva causing your mouth to water. When you actually taste the food, saliva increases

Once you start chewing and breaking the food down into pieces small enough to be digested, other mechanisms come into play. More saliva is produced. It contains substances including enzymes that begin the process of breaking down food into a form your body can absorb and use Chew your food more it also helps with your digestion

stop 2: The Pharynx and Esophagus

Also called the throat, the pharynx is the portion of the digestive tract that receives the food from your mouth. Branching off the pharynx is the esophagus, which carries food to the stomach and the trachea or windpipe, which carries air to the lungs

The act of swallowing takes place in the pharynx partly as a reflex and partly under voluntary control. The tongue and soft palate the soft part of the roof of the mouth push food into the pharynx, which closes off the trachea. The food then enters the esophagus

The esophagus is a muscular tube extending from the pharynx and behind the trachea to the stomach Food is pushed through the esophagus and into the stomach by means of a series of contractions called peristalsis

Just before the opening to the stomach is an important ring-shaped muscle called the lower esophageal sphincter (LES). This sphincter opens to let food pass into the stomach and closes to keep it there. If your LES doesn't work properly you may suffer from a condition called GERD, or reflux which causes heartburn and regurgitation (the feeling of food coming back up)

Stop 3: The Stomach and Small Intestine

The stomach is a sac-like organ with strong muscular walls. In addition to holding food it serves as the mixer and grinder of food. The stomach secretes acid and powerful enzymes that continue the process of breaking the food down and changing it to a consistency of liquid or paste From there, food moves to the small intestine. Between meals, the non-liquefiable remnants are released from the stomach and ushered through the rest of the intestines to be eliminated

Made up of three segments

the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum

the small intestine also breaks down food using enzymes released by the pancreas and bile from the liver. The small intestine is the 'work horse' of digestion, as this is where most nutrients are absorbed. Peristalsis is also at work in this organ, moving food through and mixing it up with the digestive secretions from the pancreas and liver, including bile. The duodenum is largely responsible for the continuing breakdown process, with the jejunum and ileum being mainly responsible for absorption of nutrients into the bloodstream.

A more technical name for this part of the process is "motility," because it involves moving or emptying food particles from one part to the next. This process is highly dependent on the activity of a large network of nerves, hormones, and muscles. Problems with any of these components can cause a variety of conditions.

While food is in the small intestine, nutrients are absorbed through the walls and into the bloodstream What's leftover (the waste) moves into the large intestine (large bowel or colon).

Everything above the large intestine is called the upper GI tract. Everything below is the lower GI tract

Stop 4: The Colon, Rectum

The colon (large intestine) is a five- to seven -foot -long muscular tube that connects the small intestine to the rectum. It is made up of the cecum, the ascending (right) colon, the transverse (across) colon, the descending (left) colon and the sigmoid colon, which connects to the rectum. The appendix is a small tube attached to the ascending colon. The large intestine is a highly specialized organ that is responsible for processing waste so that defecation (excretion of waste) is easy and convenient.

Stool, or waste left over from the digestive process, passes through the colon by means of peristalsis, first in a liquid state and ultimately in solid form. As stool passes through the colon, any remaining water is absorbed. Stool is stored in the sigmoid (S-shaped) colon until a "mass movement" empties it into the rectum, usually once or twice a day.

It normally takes about 36 hours for stool to get through the colon. The stool itself is mostly food debris and bacteria. These bacteria perform several useful functions, such as synthesizing various vitamins, processing waste products and food particles, and protecting against harmful bacteria. When the descending colon becomes full of stool, it empties its contents into the rectum to begin the process of elimination.

The rectum is an eight-inch chamber that connects the colon to the anus. The rectum:

• Receives stool from the colon
• Lets the person know there is stool to be evacuated
• Holds the stool until evacuation happens

When anything (gas or stool) comes into the rectum, sensors send a message to the brain. The brain then decides if the rectal contents can be released or not. If they can, the sphincters relax and the rectum contracts, expelling its contents. If the contents cannot be expelled, the sphincters contract and the rectum accommodates so that the sensation temporarily goes away.

Accessory Digestive Organs

Pancreas
Among other functions, the pancreas is the chief factory for digestive enzymes that are secreted into the duodenum, the first segment of the small intestine. These enzymes break down protein, fats, and carbohydrates

Liver
The liver has multiple functions, but two of its main functions within the digestive system are to make and secrete an important substance called bile and to process the blood coming from the small intestine containing the nutrients just absorbed. The liver purifies this blood of many impurities before traveling to the rest of the body

Gallbladder
The gallbladder is a storage sac for excess bile. Bile made in the liver travels to the small intestine via the bile ducts. If the intestine doesn't need it, the bile travels into the gallbladder, where it awaits the signal from the intestines that food is present. Bile serves two main purposes. First, it helps absorb fats in the diet, and secondly, it carries waste from the liver that cannot go through the kidneys

Common digestive disorders include gastroesophageal reflux disease, cancer, irritable bowel syndrome, lactose intolerance and hiatal hernia. The most common symptoms of digestive disorders include bleeding, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, heartburn, pain and vomiting

gastroesophageal reflux disease

GERD is caused by frequent acid reflux. When you swallow, a circular band of muscle around the bottom of your esophagus (lower esophageal sphincter) relaxes to allow food and liquid to flow into your stomach

GERD Symptoms

• Frequent heartburn, a burning feeling in your chest or throat.
• Regurgitating food or stomach contents.
• Sore throat.
• Difficulty swallowing (dysphagia)
• Feeling like there's a lump in your throat.
• Damaged teeth from stomach acid.
• Chest pain.
• Bad breath.

irritable bowel syndrome

An intestinal disorder causing pain in the stomach, wind, diarrhoea and constipation The cause of irritable bowel syndrome isn't well understood. A diagnosis is often made based on symptoms. Symptoms include abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhoea and constipation. Some people can control their symptoms by managing diet, lifestyle and stress. Others will need medication and counselling.

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