What are the organs of the human digestive system? Description, structure and functions

The digestive system takes a special place in the human body. It is with the help of it that food is digested, the useful components necessary for maintaining vital functions are assimilated. The well-being of the whole organism depends on how well it works. What are the organs of the digestive system and what are their functions? This is worth considering in more detail.

Functions

In the human body, nature does not provide for anything superfluous. Each of its components is assigned a certain responsibility. Through well-coordinated work, the well-being of the body is ensured and health is maintained.

Functions of the digestive system are as follows:

1. Motor-mechanical. This includes grinding, moving and releasing food.
2. Secretory. There is a development of enzymes, saliva, digestive juices, bile, which take part in digestion.
3. Suction. The body absorbs protein, carbohydrates and fats, minerals, water and vitamins.

The motor-mechanical function consists in contraction of muscles and chopping food, as well as its mixing and movement. Secretory work consists in the production of glandular cells of digestive juices. Thanks to the suction function, nutrients are supplied to the lymph and blood.

Structure

What structure does the human digestive system have? Its structure is aimed at processing and moving of useful components entering the body from the outside, as well as removing unnecessary substances into the environment. The walls of the digestive system consist of four layers. From the inside they are lined with a mucous membrane. It moistens the canal walls and facilitates easier passage of food. Under it is a submucosa. Thanks to its numerous folds, the surface of the digestive canal becomes larger. The submucosa is permeated with neural plexuses, lymphatic and blood vessels. The other two layers are the outer and inner muscle shells.

The digestive system consists of the following organs:

• oral cavity:
• Esophagus and pharynx;
• stomach;
• colon;
• small intestine;
• The digestive glands.

To understand their work, we need to focus on each in more detail.

Oral cavity

At the first stage, the food enters the mouth, where it is processed first. Teeth perform the function of grinding, the tongue, thanks to the taste receptors located on it, evaluates the quality of incoming products. Then the salivary glands begin to produce special enzymes for wetting and primary splitting of food. After treatment in the oral cavity, it goes further into the internal organs, the digestive system continues its work.

To this department, you can include muscles that participate in the chewing process.

Esophagus and pharynx

The food enters the funnel-shaped cavity, which consists of muscle fibers. It is this structure that has a pharynx. With it, a person swallows food, after which it moves through the esophagus, and then enters the main organs of the human digestive system.

Stomach

In this organ there is a mixing and splitting of food. The stomach in appearance is a muscle bag. Inside it is hollow, the volume is up to 2 liters.

Its inner surface contains a variety of glands, due to which the production of juice and hydrochloric acid, necessary for the digestive process, takes place. They split the food components and promote their further progress.

Small intestine

What organs consists of the digestive system except the oral cavity, pharynx, esophagus and stomach? Passing them, the food enters the duodenum - the initial section of the small intestine. Food under the influence of bile and special juices is split, and then passes into the following sections of the small intestine - skinny and iliac.

Here, the substances are cleaved definitively, the absorption of microelements, vitamins and other useful components into the blood occurs. Its length is about six meters. The small intestine is filled with the abdominal cavity. The suction process occurs under the influence of special villi, which cover the mucous membrane. Thanks to a special valve, a so-called shutter is formed, which stops the reverse movement of the stool masses.

Colon

Very important in the human body is the digestive system. From what organs it consists, it is necessary to know in order to understand its functions. Answering this question, it is worth pointing to yet another, no less important department, in which the digestion process is completed. This is the large intestine. It is into it that all undigested food remains. Here, water absorption and feces formation, final cleavage of proteins and microbiological synthesis of vitamins (in particular, group B and K) occur.

The structure of the large intestine

The length of the organ is about one and a half meters. It consists of the following departments:

• The cecum (there is a vermicular appendix);
• The colon (in turn, it includes ascending, transverse, descending and sigmoid;
• Rectum (it consists of an ampulla and an anal canal).

The large intestine ends with the anal opening, through which the processed food is removed from the body.

Digestive glands

What are the organs of the digestive system? Great responsibility is placed on the liver, pancreas and gall bladder. Without them, the process of digestion, in principle, as well as without other organs, would be impossible.

The liver contributes to the development of an important component - bile. The main function of bile is the emulsification of fats. The organ is placed under the diaphragm, on the right side. The task of the liver is to delay harmful substances, which helps to avoid poisoning the body. Thus, it is a kind of filter, because it often suffers because of the large accumulation of toxins.

The gallbladder is a reservoir for the bile produced by the liver.

The pancreas secretes special enzymes that can break down fats, proteins and carbohydrates. It is known that it is capable of forming up to 1.5 liters of juice per day. Also, the pancreas produces insulin (a hormone of peptide nature). It affects the metabolism in almost all tissues.

Among the digestive glands, it should be noted and salivary, which are located in the mouth, they secrete substances to soften food and its primary cleavage.

What are the threats of the digestive system?

Clear, well-coordinated work of the organs ensures the correct functioning of the whole organism. But disturbances in the digestive process, unfortunately, are not uncommon. This threatens the appearance of various diseases, among which the leading place is occupied by gastritis, esophagitis, ulcers, dysbacteriosis, intestinal obstruction, poisoning and so on. In case of occurrence of such illnesses it is necessary to engage in timely treatment, otherwise as a result of delays in the intake of nutrients into the blood, the work of other organs may be disrupted. Do not use folk methods without consulting a doctor. The means of alternative medicine are used only in combination with medicines and under the supervision of a medical worker.

To understand the whole principle of functioning, it is necessary to know what organs the digestive system consists of. This will help to better understand the problem when it appears and find a solution. The presented scheme is simple, only the main points are touched upon. In fact, the human digestive system is much more complicated.