How does the digestive system work

Water is removed and the waste faeces is stored in the rectum. It can then be passed out of the body through the anus. This page has been produced in consultation with and approved by:. The type of pain felt in the abdomen can vary greatly.

Children may feel stomach pain for a range of reasons and may need treatment. Being young and fit doesn't reduce your risk of altitude sickness. Around half of cases of anal fissures heal by themselves with proper self-care and avoidance of constipation.

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The State of Victoria and the Department of Health shall not bear any liability for reliance by any user on the materials contained on this website. Skip to main content. Digestive system explained. From there, food moves into the small intestine. Most nutrients are absorbed in the small intestine, where food is broken down even more by enzymes released from the pancreas and bile from the liver.

Anything left in the small intestine moves into the large intestine, which is also known as the colon. The colon is a 5- to 7-foot long muscular tube that connects the small intestine to the rectum. On average, it takes about 36 hours for waste, or stool, to get through the colon and exit the rectum through the anus. Gastroenterologist Michael Puff, MD , knows the ins and outs of your digestive system.

Want to help your digestive system move things along? Stick to a healthy diet and drink lots of water. I think is a wonderful resource for elementary schoolers. Dear Maya, I am a 6th grader and I am wondering what school you go to because I have 1 sister and cousin in the same grade at Rosa Parks Elementry and was wondering if you knew them their names are Jordyn Counts and Jamie Pairan. This helped me so much with my homework a big thank you so much. This was a lot of information to take in.

I did eventually. The only reason was because I read the infiormation for 45 minutes each day for 3 days now. And this website helped me with an assignment in science. We were learning about systems and organs within the systems. How does food move through the GI tract?

How do digestive juices in each organ of the GI tract break down food? What happens to the digested food molecules?

How is the digestive process controlled? Once foods are broken into small enough parts, your body can absorb and move the nutrients to where they are needed. Your large intestine absorbs water, and the waste products of digestion become stool.

Nerves and hormones help control the digestive process. Food moves through your GI tract by a process called peristalsis. The large, hollow organs of your GI tract contain a layer of muscle that enables their walls to move. The movement pushes food and liquid through your GI tract and mixes the contents within each organ.

The muscle behind the food contracts and squeezes the food forward, while the muscle in front of the food relaxes to allow the food to move. Food starts to move through your GI tract when you eat.

When you swallow, your tongue pushes the food into your throat. A small flap of tissue, called the epiglottis, folds over your windpipe to prevent choking and the food passes into your esophagus. Once you begin swallowing, the process becomes automatic. Your brain signals the muscles of the esophagus and peristalsis begins. Lower esophageal sphincter. When food reaches the end of your esophagus, a ringlike muscle—called the lower esophageal sphincter —relaxes and lets food pass into your stomach.

After food enters your stomach, the stomach muscles mix the food and liquid with digestive juices. The stomach slowly empties its contents, called chyme , into your small intestine. Small intestine. 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. As peristalsis continues, the waste products of the digestive process move into the large intestine. Large intestine. Waste products from the digestive process include undigested parts of food, fluid, and older cells from the lining of your GI tract.

The large intestine absorbs water and changes the waste from liquid into stool. Peristalsis helps move the stool into your rectum. The lower end of your large intestine, the rectum, stores stool until it pushes stool out of your anus during a bowel movement.