How food travels through various compartments
http://www.livescience.com/22367-digestive-system.html
Food travels through various compartments of the body as part of the process of digestion. Let me explain step-by-step how this process occurs:
1. Mouth: Digestion begins in the mouth, where food is broken down mechanically by chewing and mixed with saliva. Saliva contains enzymes that start breaking down carbohydrates.
2. Esophagus: After being chewed and mixed with saliva, food travels down the esophagus, a long muscular tube that connects the mouth to the stomach. This process is called swallowing.
3. Stomach: When food reaches the stomach, it is mixed with stomach acid and digestive enzymes. The stomach's muscular walls contract, churning the food and breaking it down into a semi-liquid form called chyme.
4. Small Intestine: From the stomach, chyme enters the small intestine, a long, coiled tube where most of the digestion and absorption of nutrients takes place. The small intestine is divided into three sections: the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum.
a. Duodenum: In the duodenum, digestive enzymes from the pancreas and bile from the liver (stored in the gallbladder) are released to break down proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. Nutrients are then absorbed into the bloodstream through the intestinal walls.
b. Jejunum and Ileum: In the jejunum and ileum, further absorption of nutrients occurs. The inner walls of the small intestine have tiny finger-like projections called villi, which increase the surface area for absorption.
5. Large Intestine: After passing through the small intestine, the remaining undigested food enters the large intestine, also known as the colon. Here, water and electrolytes are absorbed, and the remaining waste material is formed into stool.
6. Rectum and Anus: The stool is stored in the rectum until it is ready to be eliminated. When the rectum is full, the muscles of the anus relax, and the stool is expelled from the body through the process of defecation.
So, in summary, the process of food traveling through various compartments includes the mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, rectum, and anus. Each compartment plays a crucial role in digestion and absorption of nutrients.