Organs

• pharynx


  section of GI tract that connects the mouth to the esophagus.
• esophagus


  A muscular tube that connects the pharynx to the stomach.

  
• stomach


  temporary storage tank

  site of food breakdown into chyme

  chemical breakdown protein begins here

  
• small intestine


  Long hollow tube where most absorption of nutrients occurs

  2-4 m in length

  
• liver


  makes bile, breaks down fats, stores nutrients and eliminates toxins

  
• gall bladder


  An organ that stores bile and releases it as needed into the small intestine

  
• pancreas


  An organ in the abdominal cavity with two roles. The first is to produce digestive enzymes . The second is to secrete insulin into the bloodstream to help regulate blood glucose levels.

  
• large intestine


  Absorbs water and forms feces

  
• colon


  another name for the large intestine

  consists of ascending, transverse, descending, & sigmoid colon
• cecum


  the cavity in which the large intestine begins and into which the ileum opens
• rectum


  stores solid waste and compresses into more solid form in preparation for defecation.
• mesentery


  a fold of the peritoneum that attaches the stomach, small intestine, pancreas, spleen, and other organs to the posterior wall of the abdomen.
• anus


  A muscular opening at the end of the rectum through which waste material is eliminated from the body