The digestive system breaks down and absorbs nutrients the body needs to survive. The digestive system’s six functions are ingestion, motility, secretion, digestion, absorption, and elimination.

Each villus has a network of capillaries and fine lymphatic vessels called lacteals close to its surface. The epithelial cells of the villi transport nutrients from the lumen of the intestine into these capillaries ( amino acids and carbohydrates) and lacteals (lipids).

Small intestine It’s largely responsible for the continuous breaking-down process. The jejunum and ileum lower in the intestine are mainly responsible for absorption of nutrients into the bloodstream. Contents of the small intestine start out semi-solid, and end in a liquid form after passing through the organ.

small intestine

The majority of water’s absorption into the bloodstream occurs after water passes through the stomach and into the small intestine. The small intestine, at around 20 feet long, is the organ primarily responsible for water absorption through its walls and into the bloodstream.

The absorption process is very rapid: a recently published study showed that ingested water appears in plasma and blood cells as soon as 5 minutes after ingestion (Peronnet et al. 2012). Water passes from the intestinal lumen into plasma mainly by passive transport, regulated by osmotic gradients.

Abstract. Glucose absorption in intestine and renal tubules is mediated by secondary active transporters (SGLT-1 and SGLT-2) that depend on the Na+,K+-ATPase. In all others, transport is carried out by facilitated diffusion via glucose transporters (GLUT).

Bile is a fluid that is made and released by the liver and stored in the gallbladder. Bile helps with digestion. It breaks down fats into fatty acids, which can be taken into the body by the digestive tract.

Bile secretion is stimulated by secretin, and the bile is secreted into the gallbladder where it is concentrated and stored under fasting conditions. Concentration of bile within the gallbladder is stimulated principally by cholecystokinin, with absorption of up to 90% of the water occurring within a 4-hour period.

Bile is usually yellow or green.

The common bile duct enters the small intestine at the sphincter of Oddi (a ring-shaped muscle), located a few inches below the stomach. About half the bile secreted between meals flows directly through the common bile duct into the small intestine.

The liver is the body’s largest internal organ. The liver performs many tasks, including storing energy and helping the body get rid of toxins.

The excretory system removes metabolic wastes from the body. The major organs of excretion are the kidneys, a pair of bean-shaped organs located below the liver. The kidneys filter blood and regulate water balance in the body.

Although the small intestine is narrower than the large intestine, it is actually the longest section of your digestive tube, measuring about 22 feet (or seven meters) on average, or three-and-a-half times the length of your body.

Rectum: An 8-inch chamber that connects the colon to the anus. The rectum receives stool from the colon, sends signals to the brain if there is stool to be evacuated, and holds stool until evacuation can happen.

It takes about 36 hours for food to move through the entire colon. All in all, the whole process — from the time you swallow food to the time it leaves your body as feces — takes about two to five days, depending on the individual.

Intestinal problems, such as polyps and cancer, infections, celiac disease, Crohn disease, ulcerative colitis, diverticulitis, malabsorption, short bowel syndrome, and intestinal ischemia. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), peptic ulcer disease, and hiatal hernia.

The final stage of the digestive system is the colon (large intestine) which absorbs water and salts before the remains are passed out of the rectum as faeces. The colon can also help to absorb remaining carbohydrate and some fats.

The five steps involved in nutrition in animals, including human beings are as follows;

• Ingestion.
• Digestion.
• Absorption.
• Assimilation.
• Egestion.

A: Complications are directly related to the type of nutrient not being absorbed. In some cases, people get persistent diarrhea, weight loss, and abdominal pain. Vitamin deficiencies can cause conditions such as anemia, numbness in the hands or feet, and memory problems.

The six major activities of the digestive system are ingestion, propulsion, mechanical breakdown, chemical digestion, absorption, and elimination. First, food is ingested, chewed, and swallowed. Next, muscular contractions propel it through the alimentary canal and physically break it down into tiny particles.

If your transit time is a concern, there are some steps you can take to speed things up.

1. Exercise for 30 minutes a day. Food and digested material is moved through the body by a series of muscle contractions.
2. Eat more fiber.
3. Eat yogurt.
4. Eat less meat.
5. Drink more water.

Your digestive system, from beginning … to end

1. Step 1: Mouth. To more easily absorb different foods, your saliva helps break down what you’re eating and turn it into chemicals called enzymes.
2. Step 2: Esophagus.
3. Step 3: Stomach.
4. Step 4: Small Intestine.
5. Step 5: Large Intestine, Colon, Rectum and Anus.

There are four steps in the digestion process: ingestion, the mechanical and chemical breakdown of food, nutrient absorption, and elimination of indigestible food.

The muscles of the small intestine mix food with digestive juices from the pancreas, liver, and intestine, and push the mixture forward for further digestion. The walls of the small intestine absorb water and the digested nutrients into your bloodstream.

Digested food molecules are absorbed in the small intestine . This means that they pass through the wall of the small intestine and into our bloodstream. Once there, the digested food molecules are carried around the body to where they are needed.

Ingested food stimulates gastric activity in two ways: by stretching the stomach and by raising the pH of its contents. Stretching activates two reflexes: a short reflex is mediated through the myenteric nerve plexus; and a long reflex is mediated through the vagus nerves and brainstem.

Different phases of digestion take place including: the cephalic phase, gastric phase, and intestinal phase.