By,
Jonas Laqua

The Mouth's Role in Digestion
The production of saliva is the first step in digestion and prepares the body for a meal.
When food is put in the mouth, the tongue moves it around and the saliva produced coats and lubricates the food for easier chewing and swallowing.
Saliva also contains an enzyme called amylase that helps to chemically break down certain carbohydrates in the meal. Teeth help to mechanically
(physically) break down food into smaller pieces by tearing and shredding it. Chewing slowly and well is important to make sure that the pieces swallowed are as small as possible to aid further digestion.
This is a Mouth !
Information from www.gesa.org.au/digestivesystem/
mouth_throat.cfm
Picture from wpikcfarzeenw.wikispaces.com/guest book

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The esophagus is the muscular tube through which food passes on its way from the mouth to the stomach.
The main function of the esophagus is to propel food into the stomach.
To ensure that food does not move backward—a condition known as reflux— sphincters (constricting ring-shaped muscles) at either end of the esophagus close when the food is not passing through them in a forward direction.
Esophageal function tests are used to determine whether the sphincters are working properly. After this, the food travels down to the…
Information from
Wikipedia.org

What role does the stomach play in digestion?
The stomach's first job is to accept and store the food that enters it. In response to the arrival of food, glands present in the lining of the stomach produce stomach acid (or gastric acid) - another digestive juice.
Muscles in the wall of the stomach help to move the food and acid around making sure that they mix thoroughly. Stomach acid helps to break down the food further into smaller, easier to digest fragments. The acid also kills bacteria contained in the swallowed food or saliva.
By the time food is ready to leave the stomach, it has been processed into a thick liquid. Finally, muscular movements in the lower part of the stomach push this partly-digested food down towards the…
Information from http://www.gesa.org.au/digestivesystem/stomach.cfm

Information from http://www.gesa.org.au/digestivesystem/small_intestine.cfm
The small intestine (also known as the small bowel) is the longest portion of the digestive tract - it is more than 6 meters long and is located within the middle of the abdomen. It has three sections, the duodenum, jejunum and ileum.
Much of the small intestine is coiled and suspended in a thin layer of fat which gives the intestine a lot of flexibility and mobility.
What does it do?
Digestion of fats, proteins and carbohydrates contained in the foods you consume, is completed within the small intestine.
The resulting nutrients produced are absorbed through the lining of the small intestine and transferred to the bloodstream.

T H E L A R G E I N T E S T I N E ( O R L A R G E B O W E L ) I S T H E P A R T O F T H E
D I G E S T I V E S Y S T E M W H E R E W A S T E P R O D U C T S F R O M T H E F O O D Y O U
E A T A R E C O L L E C T E D A N D P R O C E S S E D I N T O F A E C E S .
T H E L A R G E I N T E S T I N E I S A B O U T 1 . 5 M L O N G A N D C O N S I S T S O F T H E
C A E C U M , A P P E N D I X , C O L O N A N D R E C T U M - W H I C H A R E
D I S T R I B U T E D I N T H E A B D O M I N A L C A V I T Y .
W H A T D O E S I T D O ?
T H E L A R G E I N T E S T I N E P E R F O R M S T H E F O L L O W I N G F U N C T I O N S :
R E A B S O R B S W A T E R A N D M A I N T A I N S T H E F L U I D B A L A N C E O F T H E
B O D Y
A B S O R B S C E R T A I N V I T A M I N S
P R O C E S S E S U N D I G E S T E D M A T E R I A L ( F I B R E )
S T O R E S W A S T E B E F O R E I T I S E L I M I N A T E D .
Information from http://www.gesa.org.au/digestive-system/large_intestine.cfm

Crohn’s disease is an ongoing disorder that causes inflammation of the digestive tract.
Crohn’s disease can affect any area, from the mouth to the anus, but it most commonly affects the lower part of the small intestine, called the ileum.
The swelling extends deep into the lining of the affected organ. The swelling can cause pain and can make the intestines empty frequently, resulting in diarrhea.
What are the Symptoms?
The most common symptoms of Crohn’s disease are abdominal pain, often in the lower right area, and diarrhea. Rectal bleeding, weight loss, arthritis, skin problems, and fever may also occur. Bleeding may be serious and persistent, leading to anemia.
Children with Crohn’s disease may suffer delayed development and stunted growth. The range and severity of symptoms varies.

Several theories exist about what causes
Crohn’s disease, but none have been proven.
The most popular theory is that the body’s immune system reacts abnormally in people with Crohn’s disease, mistaking bacteria, foods, and other substances for being foreign.
The immune system’s response is to attack these “invaders.” During this process, white blood cells accumulate in the lining of the intestines, producing chronic inf lammation, which leads to ulcerations and bowel injury.

It takes 12- 72 hours to digest food, depending on the type of food. It takes about 12 hours to digest vegetables, and about 72 hours to digest red meat, but for normal foods it takes about 24 hours to digest.
It takes 1 hour to digest water or fluid.
If you swallow gum it doesn’t digest, it is just too small of an amount to digest.

1. What is the purpose of the digestive system?
2. Name the main organs of the digestive system.
3. What does this Organ do:
• Mouth
• Esophagus
• Stomach
• Small intestine
• Large intestine
4. What is Crohn’s Disease?