Digestive activity refers to the processes involved in breaking down food into nutrients. The process takes place in the gastrointestinal tract starting at the mouth and ending at the rectum before the waste is released through the anus. Parts of the GI tract actively involved in the process include the mouth, esophagus, intestines, rectum, and stomach. The identified parts are supported at different parts by various body organs that secrete juices, hormones, and bacteria that aid in the digestion process. The paper outlines the digestive activity as it happens across the GI.
The Mouth acts as the initial stage of digestion, once the food is ingested, the chewing process acts as the initial breaking of the food. Saliva is secreted by salivary glands and mixed the food to begin the digestion of starch. The tongue aids the chewing process by turning and mixing the food along the jawlines before pushing it to the throat. The esophagus aids with the swallowing process. Once the food is at the throat, a process called peristalsis pushes food down the esophagus into the stomach.
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The Stomach is critical in the digestion process when food is released in the stomach, it mixes with digestive juices that comprise of water, enzymes, and the hydrochloric acid. The food is mixed at this stage with the help of stomach muscles and the chime is passed on to the small intestines.
The small intestines continue the digestion of chime from the stomach with its muscles mixing the released content with the digestive juices secreted from the liver, pancreas , and intestinal walls. The liver secretes bile, while pancreatic juices are from the pancreas. The intestinal walls absorb water and already digested nutrients into the blood. The movement of food down the intestines is further aided by peristalsis as it moves to large intestines.
The Large Intestines receive undigested food and wasters from the small intestine. The large intestines absorb water and other nutrients turning the waste into the stool. The movement of wasters and undigested food down the track is aided by peristalsis. The stool is moved to the rectum that forms the lower part of the large intestine. The rectum stores the stool until it is pushed out of the body through the Anus with the help of a process called bowel movement.
