Digestive Diseases: The Digestive System

• What is digestion?
• Foods Journey - Stop 1: The Mouth
• Foods Journey - Stop 2: The Pharynx and Esophagus
• Foods Journey - Stop 3: The Stomach and Small Intestine
• Foods Journey - Stop 4: The Colon, Rectum and Anus
• Accessory organs in digestion

"Just a spoonful of sugar... " goes the song. But what happens to that sugar once you swallow it? In fact, how is it that you are able to swallow it at all? Your digestive system performs amazing feats every day, whether you eat a double cheeseburger or a stalk of celery. Read on to learn what exactly happens to food as it makes its way through your digestive system.

What Is Digestion?

Digestion is the complex process of turning the food you eat into the energy you need to survive. The digestion process also involves creating waste to be eliminated.

The digestive tract (or gut) is a long twisting tube that starts at the mouth and ends at the anus. It is made up of a series of muscles that coordinate the movement of food and other cells that produce enzymes and hormones to aid in the breakdown of food. Along the way are three other organs that are needed for digestion: the liver, gallbladder and the pancreas.

Food's Journey

Stop 1: The Mouth

The mouth is the beginning of the digestive tract, and, in fact, digestion starts here before you even take the first bite of a meal. The smell of food triggers the salivary glands in your mouth to secrete saliva, causing your mouth to water. When you actually taste the food, saliva increases.

Once you start chewing and breaking the food down into pieces small enough to be digested other mechanisms come into play. More saliva is produced to begin the process of breaking down food into a form your body can absorb and use. In addition, "juices" are produced that will help to further break down food.

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