Flowchart Science: The Human Body: The Digestive System

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related to this specific article. If you have any questions, comments, or thoughts you'd like to share, we invite This is remarkable because, when empty, an adult stomach has a capacity of 75 milliliters. But it can stretch and house up to one liter of food over the course of a meal. That’s over 10 times the starting capacity.

The large intestine, also known as the rectum in frogs, is a relatively short and wide tube, approximately 4cm in length. It extends straight from the small intestine and culminates at the cloaca, which is the common exit point for the intestinal and urinary tracts. The transition from the small intestine to the large intestine is marked by the ileo-rectal valve, which functions to regulate the passage of digested material. The digestion in the intestine is facilitated by the combined action of bile, pancreatic juice, and intestinal juice: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. 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.

The small intestine is 5–6m in length, and most of the chemical digestion occurs within the first metre. Once digested into smaller molecules, absorption can take place. Bile: Secreted by the liver, bile is an alkaline fluid that emulsifies fats, neutralizes the acidity of chyme, and stimulates intestinal peristalsis. We hope you've enjoyed reading our latest blog article! We're thrilled to see the positive response it's been Sigmoid colon - contracts to increase pressure inside the colon, causing the stool to move into the rectum Solid waste is characteristically brown and stinky. You know that bilirubin gives stool its color, but what causes its odor?The pharynx is a tube that connects the respiratory and digestive systems. It is linked directly with the larynx and the oesophagus. It's a muscular tube that runs between the tongue and the soft palate. Nasopharynx, oropharynx and laryngeal pharynx are the three types of the pharynx. Oesophagus This digestive juice is powerful hydrochloric acid. It’s strong enough to break apart tightly bound proteins into polypeptide chains (smaller chains of amino acids). It can also eliminate potentially harmful bacteria that may be present in some foods. The liver, being a multifunctional organ, is responsible for a plethora of physiological processes: This article aims to give an overview of the anatomy and function of the digestive tract. Details regarding neurovascular supply, histology, and clinically significant points regarding each segment of the digestive tract can be found in the respective articles. It will also briefly mention a few elements of the abdominal examination. The fundamental units of these lobules are the polyhedral, glandular hepatic cells. These cells are rich in nuclei, cytoplasm, protein granules, glycogen droplets, fats, and occasionally, dark brown pigment particles. These hepatic cells are systematically arranged in columns, separated by bile capillaries, which eventually coalesce to form larger hepatic ducts. These ducts subsequently connect to the gallbladder through cystic ducts or merge to form the primary bile duct.