Digestive System

Chyme

Also known as chymus, it is the liquid substance found in the stomach before passing through the pyloric valve and entering the duodenum. It results from the mechanical and chemical breakdown of a bolus and consists of partially digested food, water, hydrochloric acid, and various digestive enzymes. Chyme slowly passes through the pyloric sphincter and into the duodenum, where the extraction of nutrients begins.

Mechanical Digestion

As soon as you eat, the digestive process of breaking down food particles begins. The first digestive process, mechanical digestion, involves the actions of the teeth and tongue to break food particles into smaller pieces.

Small Intestine

Food goes into the stomach where it is broken down by acid and enzymes into more manageable bits. Then it passes to the small intestine. It is pretty watery now so it can move easily. The small intestine (small bowel), includes the duodenum , the jejunum and the ileum. Inside the small intestine food continues to break down so all the nutrients which the body needs can be absorbed. Enzymes from the pancreas help break down the food. The lining of the small intestine is not a straight slippery surface but is wavy so that there is a lot more surface on the inside than on the outside.

Peristalsis

Peristalsis is a series of wave-like muscle contractions that moves food to different processing stations in the digestive tract. The process of peristalsis begins in the esophagus when a bolus of food is swallowed. The strong wave-like motions of the smooth muscle in the esophagus carry the food to the stomach, where it is churned into a liquid mixture called chyme.

Esophagus

The esophagus, which passes food from the pharynx to the stomach, is about 25 cm in length; the width varies from 1.5 to 2 cm.

Digestive system

The human digestive system processes the food we eat. It is made up of many organs and glans that digest the food, extract the energy and nutrients, and later expel the waste byproducts.

Large intetine

The large intestine (or bowel, colon) is the last part of the digestive system in vertebrate animals. Its function is to absorb water from the remaining indigestible food matter, and then to pass useless waste material from the body.[1] This article is primarily about the human gut, though the information about its processes are directly applicable to most mammals.

Chemical digestion

The process in which chemicals in the body separate large food molecules into smaller ones so they can pass through the wall of the intestine.

Bolus

When you do eat, the saliva breaks down the chemicals in the food a bit, which helps make the food mushy and easy to swallow. Your tongue helps out, pushing the food around while you chew with your teeth. When you're ready to swallow, the tongue pushes a tiny bit of mushed-up food called a bolus toward the back of your throat and into the opening of your esophagus, the second part of the digestive tract.

stomach

Your stomach is a stretchy bag of muscle that is very important in digesting food. It is part of your gastrointestinal system. When you have chewed and swallowed your food, your stomach mixes and churns it like a blender, then adds stomach acid and enzymes, which speed digestion up.