How Does the Digestive System Work?
The digestive system is crucial for supplying your body with the nutrients it needs to survive. The food we eat must be changed into a smaller, more usable form through a process called digestion, which is the role of the digestive system. The hollow organs comprising the digestive system include the mouth, esophagus, stomach, small and large intestine, rectum and anus. The solid organs which also assist with digestion include the liver, pancreas and gallbladder. Digestion begins as soon as food enters the mouth. Digestive enzymes secreted in the mouth help begin breaking down carbohydrates. Next, food is swallowed into the esophagus, where peristalsis, which is the contraction of organ walls in the digestive tract that propels food downwards through the organ, carries the food to the stomach. The stomach serves as storage, but also mixes the food with acids it produces to begin the breakdown of proteins. Once the this process is complete, peristalsis empties the contents into the smal
