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Digestive Tract

Anatomy of the Digestive Tract

Digestive anatomy by Mariana Ruiz Digestive Anatomy by LadyofHats
The digestive tract begins with the mouth.

The mouth is part of the oral cavity and this is where both mechanical and chemical digestion begin.

Food then travels down the esophagus. From the esophagus, the food enters the stomach.

The stomach grinds and churns the food until it no longer resembles food and is turned into a paste, called chyme. Food is then released into the small intestines.

The small intestines are shown in orange and look like a snake like structure, in the diagram to the right.

The liver sits in the upper right hand quadrant of the abdomen (left in the image)  and is shown in red in the image to the right.  The role of the liver will be discussed on the next page.

The gallbladder is a small structure which is tucked in, under the liver. It connects the liver to the small intestines, delivering a compound, called bile, to the intestines which is important in digestion.

After traveling through all sections of the small intestines, what is left of the food enters the colon, represented in green in the image and also known as the large intestines.

The remaining portions then enter the rectum and the anus. Food has been transformed from something edible to an excretory product, called feces.

Digestive Anatomy Video

< Food Groups
Digestion & Absorption >

References

  1. Sizer, F. Whitney E. The Remarkable Body. In: Nutrition Concepts and Controversies. 13 ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth. 2014.
  2. Digestive anatomy image by LadyofHats, from Wikipedia, CC0.
  3. Header image modified from 23.5 The Small and Large Intestines. Anatomy & Physiology. OpenStaxCollege, http://cnx.org/resources/abf6ec32722c242d09afa2da6f08a61d71ac585b/2417_Small_IntestineN.jpg


Last updated April 8, 2016

Nutritional Doublethink

Nutritional Doublethink™ is the simultaneous acceptance of two contradictory beliefs about a food, "unhealthy is healthy". This website explores these contradictions and their impact on health. The information on this website is not meant to replace the advice from your doctor or dietitian.

Copyright Nutritional Doublethink™, 2017

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  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Chart
  • Gallery
  • Nutrition Topics
    • Nutrition Basics >
      • Food Label
      • Nutritious Diet
      • Whole vs Processed
      • Food Choices
      • Nutrition and Disease
    • Dietary Guidelines >
      • Determining Intakes
      • Portion Size
      • Food Groups
    • Digestive Tract >
      • Digestion & Absorption
    • Carbohydrates >
      • Carbohydrate Digestion
      • Carbohydrate Absorption
      • Sugar
      • Foods with Sugar
      • Fiber
      • Glucose Regulation
      • Carbohydrate Recommendations
    • Lipids >
      • Lipid Digestion
      • Cholesterol
      • Essential Fatty Acids
      • Trans Fatty Acids
      • Lipid Recommendations
    • Protein >
      • Protein Structure
      • Protein Functions
      • Protein Digestion
      • Protein Digestibility
      • Protein Recommendations
    • Vitamins >
      • Vitamin A
      • Vitamin D
      • Vitamin E
      • Vitamin K
      • Vitamin C
      • B-Vitamins
      • Vitamin B1: Thiamin
      • Vitamin B2: Riboflavin
      • Vitamin B3: Niacin
      • Vitamin B6: Pyridoxine
      • Vitamin B9: Folate
      • Vitamin B12: Cobalamin
    • Minerals >
      • Calcium
      • Sodium
      • Potassium
      • Iron