Anatomy of the digestive system

• Esophagus: The tube connecting the pharynx to the stomach. It travels through the throat and  diaphragm, into the stomach.
• Stomach: This digestive organ lies just posterior to the liver and is the primary structure functioning in the breakdown of food. The pyloric sphincter is a “doughnut-like” smooth muscle, found at the posterior end of the stomach. It separates the stomach from the small intestine
• Omentum: Connective tissue that attaches to and anchors the stomach. The lesser omentem is on the inside, concave curve of the stomach. The greater omentum is on the outside, convex curve of the stomach.
• Gall bladder: A sac containing green bile, located in the middle lobe of the liver. The common bile duct transports the bile to the duodenum
• Liver: The largest gland in the body, located between the stomach and diaphragm. It filters the blood and produces proteins for blood clotting
• Spleen: A long, flat, finger-like projection to the left of the stomach. It functions to store blood. It is dark red to purplish in color
• Pancreas: An endocrine gland located at the base of the stomach. It functions to produce hormones to control blood sugar and digestive enzymes
• Small intestine: Portion of the digestive system between the stomach and the large intestine. It is divided into the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum. This is where the majority of nutrient absorption occurs
• Mesentery: The connective tissue attached to the intestines
• Cecum: The finger-like projection of the large intestine at the junction of the large and small intestines
• Large intestine: The posterior portion of the intestines, divided into the ascending colon, transverse colon, descending colon, and sigmoid colons. The large intestine absorbs water and prepares waste for elimination. Waste is stored in the final portion of the large intestine, the rectum, prior to being eliminated from the body through the anus