Digestive System
Body System
Function
The digestive system breaks down food and turns it into the energy we need.
Function of Organs
- Mouth: For chewing, breaks down the food into pieces that are easily digested.
- Esophagus: Carries food, liquids, and saliva from the mouth to the stomach.
- Stomach: Secretes acid and enzymes that digest food.
- Small Intestine: Absorbs nutrients and mineral in the food.
- Large Intestine: Absorbs water from the remaining indigestible food and transmits the wastes.
- Anus: Opening to release wastes.
- Liver: Helps carrie away wastes and break down fats.
- Pancreas: Produces enzymes and hormones that break down food.
- Gallbladder: Stores and concentrate bile.
Digestion of Large Food Molecules
The digestion of large food molecules is essential because large foods need to be broken down into smaller pieces so absorption can occur.
Enzymes in Digestion
Enzymes are needed in digestion because enzymes are the ones that break down the food into smaller pieces and they also speed up the digestion process with normal body temperature.
Appendicitis
Appendicitis is the inflammation of a persons appendix. A symptom that someone may get with this is a pain in the appendix. The prevalence of this occurring is 7 to 8%. There are some ways to treat appendicitis, for example antibiotics or surgery to remove the appendix.
HeartBurn
A heartburn is when the stomach acid splashes from the stomach into the esophagus. Some signs may be chest pain, burning in the throat, difficulty in swallowing. Prevalence of a heartburn to happen is that 60 million people have it once a month. Treatments for it may be avoiding to eat before bedtime, stop smoking, and eat smaller amounts of food.