Welcome to the Digestive System

The human digestive system is a series of organs that converts food into necessary nutrients that are absorbed into the body and moves the unused waste material out of the body. It is essential to good health because if the digestive system were to stop working, the body will not be able to dispose of waste or nourish itself. The digestion process first starts with chewing. The food is broken down by the teeth so that it is able to safely move down the esophagus. Although the teeth are a part of the skeletal system, they are also very important in digestion. For carnivores, teeth are made to grind and tear meat. For a herbivore, their teeth are flat edged for plants. After the food is broken down into starch by the saliva, you would swallow which pushes the food down into the esophagus. The food is then emptied into the stomach. The stomach acids break down the proteins. The liver creates glycogen from the sugars and carbohydrates and provide energy to the body. It also breaks down any bad chemicals like alcohol, which is detoxified and passed from the body as waste. The remaining materials is passed into the large intestine and mixes with water to create feces which will exit out of the body.