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Digestive System

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Digestive System

Uploaded by

monkeysaltacc
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Integrated science

Form 2,F.C.

Function of the Digestive System

Nutrients in the foods you eat are needed by the cells of your body. How do
the nutrients in foods get to your body cells? What organs and processes
break down the foods and make the nutrients available to cells? The organs
are those of the digestive system. The processes are digestion and
absorption.

The digestive system is the body system that breaks down food and absorbs
nutrients. It also gets rid of solid food waste. The digestive system is mainly
one long tube from the mouth to the anus, known as the gastrointestinal tract
(GI tract). The main organs of the digestive system include the esophagus,
stomach and the intestine, and are pictured below (Figure below). The
intestine is divided into the small and large intestine. The small intestine has
three segments. The ileum is the longest segment of the small intestine, which
is well over 10 feet long. The large intestine is about 5 feet long.

Digestion is the process of breaking down food into nutrients. There are two
types of digestion, mechanical and chemical. In mechanical digestion, large
chunks of food are broken down into small pieces. Mechanical digestion
begins in the mouth and involves physical processes, such as chewing. This
process continues in the stomach as the food is mixed with digestive juices.
In chemical digestion, large food molecules are broken down into small
nutrient molecules. This is a chemical process which also begins in the mouth
as saliva begins to break down food and continues in the stomach as
stomach enzymes further digest the food.

Absorption is the process that allows substances you eat to be taken up by


the blood. After food is broken down into small nutrient molecules, the
molecules are absorbed by the blood. After absorption, the nutrient molecules
travel in the bloodstream to cells throughout the body. This happens mostly in
the small intestine.
Some substances in food cannot be broken down into nutrients. They remain
behind in the digestive system after the nutrients are absorbed. Any
substances in food that cannot be digested and absorbed pass out of the
body as solid waste. The process of passing solid food waste out of the body
is called elimination.

Summary

 The digestive system is the body system that breaks down food, absorbs
nutrients, and gets rid of solid wastes.
 Digestion is the process of breaking down food into nutrients, while
absorption is the process that allows nutrients to be taken up by the blood.

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