Digestive system

•  The digestive system consists of all organs from mouth to the anus involved in the ingestion and breakdown or processing of food.
• The main function of the digestive system is to digest food and absorb the nutrients obtained from digestion.
• The teeth, tongue, salivary glands, oesophagus, stomach, small and large intestines, liver, gallbladder, pancreas are all in the digestive system
• Mechanical digestion includes chewing, mixing with saliva, churning in stomach, peristalsis, and grinding in the small intestine.
• Digestion involves mechanical (physical) and chemical processes that break down large molecules into smaller ones, which can be absorbed by cells lining the small intestine.
• Teeth break down food
• Teeth are located in the oral cavity
• The tongue maneuvers food for chewing, shapes mass, forces food back for swallowing
•  Salivary glands produce amylase in the saliva
• Salivary glands are located underneath and behind the tongue
• The oesophagus is responsible for carrying food from the mouth to the stomach
• The oesophagus is located behind the trachea
• The stomach digests food chemically
• Chemical digestion refers to the process of digestion in which food is broken down
• The stomach is located in the upper left quadrant in the abdominal area
• The small intestine contains protease, amylase and lipase to complete digestion. Digested food is absorbed into the blood here
• The large intestine absorbs water from undigested material and forms faeces
• The liver produces bile that helps break down fats
• Bile is stored in the gall bladder until needed by the small intestine
• The small intestine is located between the stomach and large intestine
• Faeces are stored in the rectum until they leave the body through defecation
• The rectum stores faeces until it can be eliminated through defaecation
• The large intestine is located around the small intestine
• The liver is responsible for producing bile and neutralises stomach acid
• The pancreas produces enzymes for digestion
• The appendix has no known function but may play a role in immune defence
• The gallbladder stores bile produced by the liver
• The liver is located in the upper right quadrant
• the pancreas is located behind the stomach
• The gallbladder is located under the liver
• The small intestine is divided into three parts - duodenum, jejunum, and ileum
• The appendix is located on the lower right side of the abdomen
• The spleen is located on the left side of the abdomen, just below the diaphragm.