home biology tutor What organs does the human digestive system consist of? Description, structure and functions

What organs does the human digestive system consist of? Description, structure and functions

Useful components necessary for life support. The well-being of the whole organism depends on how well it works. What organs does the digestive system consist of and what are their functions? This is worth looking into in more detail.

Functions

In the human body, nature does not provide anything superfluous. Each of its components has a certain responsibility. Through coordinated work, the well-being of the body is ensured and health is maintained.

The functions of the digestive system are as follows:

Motor-mechanical. It includes grinding, moving and excreting food.
Secretory. There is a production of enzymes, saliva, digestive juices, bile, which take part in digestion.
Suction. Provides the absorption of proteins, carbohydrates and fats, minerals, water and vitamins by the body.

The motor-mechanical function is to contract muscles and grind food, as well as its mixing and movement. Secretory work consists in the production of digestive juices by glandular cells. Due to the suction function, the supply of nutrients to the lymph and blood is ensured.

Structure

What is the structure of the human digestive system? Its structure is aimed at the processing and movement of useful components that enter the body from the outside, as well as the removal of unnecessary substances into the environment. The walls of the organs of the digestive system consist of four layers. They are lined from the inside. It moisturizes the walls of the canal and facilitates the passage of food. Below it is the submucosa. Thanks to its numerous folds, the surface of the alimentary canal becomes larger. The submucosa is permeated with nerve plexuses, lymphatic and blood vessels. The remaining two layers are the outer and inner muscle membranes.

The digestive system consists of the following organs:

To understand their work, you need to dwell on each in more detail.

Oral cavity

At the first stage, food enters the mouth, where its primary processing is carried out. The teeth perform the function of grinding, the tongue, thanks to the taste buds located on it, evaluates the quality of the incoming products. Then they begin to produce special enzymes for wetting and primary breakdown of food. After processing in the oral cavity, it enters further into the internal organs, the digestive system continues its work.

Muscles that take part in the process of chewing can also be attributed to this department.

Esophagus and pharynx

Food enters the funnel-shaped cavity, which consists of muscle fibers. It is this structure that the pharynx has. With the help of it, a person swallows food, after which it moves through the esophagus, and then enters the main organs of the human digestive system.

Stomach

In this organ, food is mixed and split. The stomach in appearance is a muscular bag. Inside it is hollow, the volume is up to 2 liters.

Its inner surface contains many glands, due to which the production of juice and hydrochloric acid necessary for the digestion process takes place. They break down the components of food and contribute to their further promotion.

Small intestine

What organs does the digestive system consist of besides the mouth, pharynx, esophagus, and stomach? Bypassing them, the food enters - the initial food is split under the influence of bile and special juices, and then passes into the following sections of the small intestine - the jejunum and ileum.

Here, the substances are finally broken down, the absorption of trace elements, vitamins and other useful components into the blood occurs. Its length is approximately six meters. The small intestine fills the abdominal cavity. The absorption process occurs under the influence of special villi that cover the mucous membrane. Thanks to a special valve, a so-called damper is formed, which stops the reverse movement of feces.

Colon

The human digestive system plays a very important role in the body. What organs it consists of, you need to know to understand its functions. Answering this question, it is worth pointing out another, no less important department, in which the digestion process is completed. This is the large intestine. It is in it that all undigested food residues fall. Here is the absorption of water and the formation of feces, the final breakdown of proteins and the microbiological synthesis of vitamins (in particular, groups B and K).

The structure of the large intestine

The length of the organ is approximately one and a half meters. It includes the following departments:

caecum (vermiform appendix present);
colon (it, in turn, includes the ascending, transverse, descending and sigmoid;
rectum (it consists of an ampoule and an anus).

The large intestine ends with an anus, through which processed food is excreted from the body.

digestive glands

What organs does the digestive system consist of? Great responsibility lies with the liver, pancreas and gallbladder. Without them, the process of digestion, in principle, as well as without other organs, would be impossible.

The liver contributes to the production of an important component - bile. Main - The organ is located under the diaphragm, on the right side. The tasks of the liver include the retention of harmful substances, which helps to avoid poisoning the body. Thus, it is a kind of filter, therefore it often suffers due to the large accumulation of toxins.

The gallbladder is a reservoir for bile produced by the liver.

The pancreas secretes special enzymes that can break down fats, proteins and carbohydrates. It is known that it is able to form up to 1.5 liters of juice per day. Also insulin (a peptide hormone). It affects the metabolism in almost all tissues.

Among the digestive glands, it is necessary to note the salivary glands, which are located in the oral cavity, they secrete substances for softening food and its primary splitting.

What threatens to disrupt the digestive system?

A clear, well-coordinated work of the organs ensures the proper functioning of the whole organism. But violations of the digestive process, unfortunately, are not uncommon. This threatens the emergence of various diseases, among which the leading place is occupied by gastritis, esophagitis, ulcers, dysbacteriosis, intestinal obstruction, poisoning, and so on. In the event of such ailments, it is necessary to take timely treatment, otherwise, as a result of delays in the supply of nutrients to the blood, the work of other organs may be disrupted. Do not use traditional methods without consulting a doctor. Means of alternative medicine are used only in combination with medications and under the supervision of a medical professional.

To understand the whole principle of functioning, it is necessary to know what organs the digestive system consists of. This will help to better understand the problem when it occurs and find a way to solve it. The presented scheme is simple, only the main points are affected. In fact, the human digestive system is much more complex.