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The gastrointestinal tract (GI tract, digestive tract, alimentary canal) is the tract or passageway of the digestive system that leads from the mouth to the anus. The GI tract contains all the major organs of the digestive system, in humans and other animals, including the esophagus , stomach , and intestines .
The digestive system functions to move material through the GI tract via peristalsis, break down that material via digestion, absorb nutrients for use throughout the body, and remove waste from the body via defecation. [3] Physicians who specialize in the medical specialty of gastroenterology are called gastroenterologists or sometimes GI doctors.
There are several organs and other components involved in the digestion of food. The organs known as the accessory digestive organs are the liver, gall bladder and pancreas. Other components include the mouth, salivary glands, tongue, teeth and epiglottis. The largest structure of the digestive system is the gastrointestinal tract (GI tract).
The term geriatrics comes from the Greek γέρων geron meaning "old man", and ιατρός iatros meaning "healer". However, geriatrics is sometimes called medical gerontology. Gonad – A gonad, sex gland, or reproductive gland [193] is a mixed gland that produces the gametes (sex cells) and sex hormones of an organism.
In the human digestive system, a bolus (a small rounded mass of chewed up food) enters the stomach through the esophagus via the lower esophageal sphincter. The stomach releases proteases (protein-digesting enzymes such as pepsin ), and hydrochloric acid , which kills or inhibits bacteria and provides the acidic pH of 2 for the proteases to work.
The digestive system has a complex system of motility and secretion regulation which is vital for proper function. This task is accomplished via a system of long reflexes from the central nervous system (CNS), short reflexes from the enteric nervous system (ENS) and reflexes from GI peptides working in harmony with each other. [4]
A stomach rumble, also known as a bowel sound, peristaltic sound, abdominal sound, bubble gut or borborygmus (pronounced / ˌ b ɔːr b ə ˈ r ɪ ɡ m ə s /; plural borborygmi), is a rumbling, growling or gurgling noise produced by movement of the contents of the gastrointestinal tract as they are propelled through the small intestine by a series of muscle contractions called peristalsis. [1]
Ileus is a disruption of the normal propulsive ability of the gastrointestinal tract caused by the failure of peristalsis. Retroperistalsis, the reverse of peristalsis; Segmentation contractions are another type of intestinal motility. Intestinal desmosis, the atrophy of the tendinous plexus layer, may cause disturbed gut motility. [14]