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The largest structure of the digestive system is the gastrointestinal tract (GI tract). This starts at the mouth and ends at the anus, covering a distance of about nine metres (30 ft). [1] A major digestive organ is the stomach. Within its mucosa are millions of embedded gastric glands. Their secretions are vital to the functioning of the organ.
Goblet cells secrete mucus, which lubricates the passage of food along and protects the intestinal wall from digestive enzymes. In the small intestine, villi are folds of the mucosa that increase the surface area of the intestine. The villi contain a lacteal, a vessel connected to the lymph system that aids in the removal of lipids and tissue ...
Gastroenterology (from the Greek gastḗr- "belly", -énteron "intestine", and -logía "study of") is the branch of medicine focused on the digestive system and its disorders. [1] The digestive system consists of the gastrointestinal tract, sometimes referred to as the GI tract, which includes the esophagus, stomach, small intestine and large ...
Control of the digestive system is also maintained by ENS, which can be thought of as a digestive brain that can help to regulate motility, secretion and growth. Sensory information from the digestive system can be received, integrated and acted upon by the enteric system alone. When this occurs, the reflex is called a short reflex. [4]
In the human digestive system, the stomach lies between the esophagus and the duodenum (the first part of the small intestine). It is in the left upper quadrant of the abdominal cavity. The top of the stomach lies against the diaphragm. Lying behind the stomach is the pancreas.
It is approximately 1.5 centimetres (5 ⁄ 8 inch) in diameter in newborns after 35 weeks of gestational age, [7] and 2.5–3 cm (1– 1 + 1 ⁄ 8 in) in diameter in adults. On abdominal X-rays , the small intestine is considered to be abnormally dilated when the diameter exceeds 3 cm. [ 8 ] [ 9 ] On CT scans , a diameter of over 2.5 cm is ...
A glycocalyx surface coat contains digestive enzymes. Microvilli on the apical surface increase its surface area. This facilitates transport of numerous small molecules into the enterocyte from the intestinal lumen. These include broken down proteins, fats, and sugars, as well as water, electrolytes, vitamins, and bile salts.
A stump-tailed macaque using mastication to process tough plant matter. Chewing or mastication is the process by which food is crushed and ground by the teeth.It is the first step in the process of digestion, allowing a greater surface area for digestive enzymes to break down the foods.