Digestive System Disorders » digestive tract

Digestive System Facts

admin — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 17:16:29 +0000

The human digestive system is the parts of the body that are involved in turning food and drink into smaller molecules that can be absorbed into the bloodstream and carried by cells to other body systems. Digestion itself is a process by which the molecules of food and drink are made ready to be utilized by the body. The body then uses these molecules to build and to nourish the cells of the body, and to provide energy for the body’s functions.

The digestive system does three things: it mixes food,it moves the food through the digestive tract, and it also initiates a chemical breakdown of larger molecules of food into smaller more useable molecules. The digestive process begins with your mouth when you take in the food and drink, and ends with the small intestine where the waste products exit the body.

In between the mouth and the small intestine is the rest of the digestive system; the digestive tract and other organs that also aid in digestion. The digestive tract is made up of several hollow organs that are joined in a long, twisting tube starting at the mouth and ending at the anus. The digestive system includes: the mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, rectum and the anus.

Your body has organs that play a part in the digestive process without being part of the digestive system. These organs are the tongue, the glands in the mouth that secrete saliva, the pancreas, the liver and also the gallbladder. There are also other sections of other body system that play a vital role in the digestive process such as blood and nerves.

The digestive system moves the food and liquid along the digestive tract by a wave-like movement called peristalsis.

When you take that first bite of food or first gulp of liquid a voluntary process begins called swallowing. The rest of the movement through the system changes to a involuntary movement.

The food and liquid follow the tract in orderly fashion being moved along by these involuntary movements.

The first area that the food and liquid pass through is the esophagus, then the stomach. The stomach has 3 functions to complete in the digestive process – it stores, mixes and empties food and liquid.

After the stomach has completed these three functions it empties the contents into the small intestine. The juices of the pancreas, liver, and intestine are used to further digest the food, and then the contents of the small intestine are mixed and pushed further where it is further digested.

The digested nutrients are absorbed through the intestine walls and the waste products (the parts not used by the body), including undigested parts of food (fiber, and older cells shed by the mucosa) then move into the colon. These products remain in the colon for one or two days until they are expelled by a bowel movement.

Digestive System Diseases and Disorders

admin — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 21:58:32 +0000

There are a number of organs in the digestive system including the liver, pancreas,and digestive tract (in other words the esophagus, stomach and intestines) that have a role to play in the digestive process, and the functioning of the digestive system can be affected by many different conditions disorders and diseases.

Common conditions like indigestion can make you feel uncomfortable but you can usually get better with little or no treatment. On the other hand there are diseases that can affect parts of the digestive system which can have a long lasting impact on the functioning of the system. An example of this kind of disease is inflammatory bowel disease, also known simply as IBD. If a person has IBD, a specialist called a gastroenterologist is called upon to help them deal with the disease.

There are three common conditions that individual can have that affect the esophagus: Tracheoesophageal fistula and esophageal atresia are congenital conditions. These conditions are usually detected soon after birth and both require surgery in order for the digestive systems to work in babies with these conditions.

Esophagitis is an inflammation of the esophagus and is a noncongenital condition. Those people who suffer from esophagitis usually have gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), which causes the esophagitis. GERD can sometimes be healed with lifestyle changes such as by making changes in food selection but usuallythe patient needs medication to bring relief. Sometimes taking a certain medication or an infection can cause esophagitis.

Most people at one time or another experience diarrhea and constipation. One not so common stomach and intestinal disorder is Celiac disease, which is caused by an abnormal response that the immune system has to a protein called gluten found in certain foods that we eat. When people with Celiac disease eat foods that contain gluten, damage can be done to the lining of the intestines. Symptoms that they may experience include abdominal pain, bloating, and diarrhea.

Gastritis a condition in which the lining of the stomach becomes irritated or inflamed and peptic ulcers (sores or holes) form in the lining of the stomach or duodenum causing pain and/or bleeding. Both of these conditions can be relieved with medication.

A chronic inflammation of the intestines that affects older kids, teens, and adults is an inflammation of the intestines. There are two types of IBD – ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. Both types are treated with medication, and if needed surgery to remove inflamed or damaged parts of the intestine.

Most people have heard of Cystic fibrosis, a chronic, inherited disease in which production of thick mucus blocks the ducts in the pancreas. This blockage prevents digestive juices from entering into the intestines. Without these juices it is difficult to break down and digest fats and proteins. When these ingredients are not digested the body can’t use them and they pass through the body without being used.

Liver damage is a possibility when people contract hepatitis, which is a viral infection of the liver.

Cholecystitis is when the gallbladder becomes inflamed and gallstones can develop. Teens can get cholecystitis particularly if they have sickle cell anemia or if they have been treated with certain long-term medications.

Inflammatory Bowel Diseases

How The Digestive System Works

admin — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 20:30:36 +0000

The organs and other body parts that constitute the digestive system have the common goal of turning what we eat and drink into nutrients that the body can use in one of two ways – either to grow cells that are needed for the purpose of bodily functions, or alternatively to use as energy to fuel those bodily functions. When functioning properly, the digestive system either breaks down the molecules of food and drink into smaller molecules, or it carries it to another part of the digestive system. Once the molecules are small enough for the body to be used to build cells or fuel the body, the digestive system (and the parts that aid the digestive system) then carry it to the cells of the body that use what the digestive system has been digesting.

There are six steps involved in accomplishing the task that the digestive system does. All of these six steps require movement through the system and a wave-like movement called peristalsis accomplishes the movement. Muscles that propel the food and liquid along the digestive tract accomplish peristalsis. Here are the six steps that are taken during the whole process of digesting what we eat and drink:

Step 1

The process begins when the body smells or tastes food and drink and salivates because of hunger or thirst as part of getting ready to eat or drink. We put the food and drink into our mouth and the first movement (swallowing) occurs. This first movement is a voluntary movement. It is voluntary because we decide to swallow, it is a conscious act on our part to do the swallowing. Once this first act of movement (swallowing) is accomplished all the other movements along the digestive tract are not involuntary. Involuntary means that the body automatically does it without our having to make the decision for the movement to happen. Our nerves control this involuntary movement action.

Step 2

The second step happens in the esophagus, which is what connects the throat and the stomach. The stomach is the first organ in the involuntary process that is under the control of our nerves. The esophagus moves what we eat and drink from the back of our throat to the entrance of our stomach.

Step 3

The third step involves the ring like valve that closes the passage between the two organs (esophagus and stomach). When the food gets near to the ring, the muscles around the ring relax and allow food to pass from the esophagus into the stomach.

Step 4
This is when the food enters the stomach, and completes the three tasks of the stomach. The three tasks that the stomach has to do with the food are to store it, mix it, and then empty it.

At the top of the stomach is the large muscle that relaxes in order to accept the large volumes of food and liquid that we take in each day. This is also where the stomach stores the food and liquid right after it accepts the material.

At this point the lower part of the stomach gets into the action, by mixing the food, liquid, and digestive juices that are produced by the stomach. This mixing action is accomplished by muscle action.

The last task of the stomach is to empty the contents of the stomach into the small intestine.

Step 5

This stage is where the food is digested into smaller molecules while it is in the small intestine . It dissolves the molecules of food by the juices of the pancreas, liver, and intestine, and then mixes the contents of the intestine and pushes them forward to allow for further digestion.

Step 6

The final step in the digestion process is where the nutrients from all of the digested material need to be absorbed by the walls of the intestine. The parts of the material that are not to be used as nutrients for the growth of cells or energy for the body are called “wastes”. The waste products are made up of not only the unused parts of what has been digested, but also of food parts that are known as “fiber”, older cells that have been shed by the mucosa. All of these waste products are now moved into the colon. Once in the colon the waste products remain for approximately one to two days until muscles move them along to be expelled as a bowel movement out your anus.

The end result of any of the tasks of the digestive system not functioning properly is a digestive system disorder. This could either be because of a congenital issue or because of some kind of illness that has affected the digestive process.