PARTS OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM

• Gastrointestinal tract - where the digestive organs are found (mouth to rectum)
• Alimentary Canal - the other name for the GI tract
• Mouth - Inside it, teeth breaks down food into small pieces, while the tongue mixes food with saliva
• Amylase - enzymes that break down starch
• Pharynx - where epiglottis and trachea are found
• Epiglottis - flap like structure at the back of the throat that closes over the trachea, preventing food from entering
• Esophagus - secretes mucus
• Peristalsis - the movement of the esophagus where it moves food from the throat to the stomach
• The process of digestion - Ingestion, Digestion, Absorption, Elimination
• Stomach - J shaped bag that stores the food you eat, then breaks it down to tiny pieces
• Small Intestines - nutrients from the food pass into the bloodstream through small intestine walls. It is where the main part of digestion starts
• Large Intestine - digests bacteria and accepts what our small intestines dont
• Rectum - short term storage storage which holds feces before it is expelled
• Villi - projection at the lining of intestine walls
• Insulin - produced by the pancreas to regulate blood sugar