What organs are involved in digestion?
Many organs are involved in the digestive process (see the diagram on the left). First, food enters the body via the mouth, where saliva from the salivary gland begins to break down carbohydrates. Next, the food goes down the food tube, the esophagus, pushed by muscular contractions. The food ends up in the stomach, where stomach acids breakdown much of the protein into amino acids and kill most bacteria in the food. The liver processes and regulates the substances entering the blood stream from the food that is ingested. The liver also produces bile, which contains worn-out red blood cells, that is stored in the gall bladder. The pancreas assists in digestion of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, and it regulates blood sugar levels by directing cells to take up or to secrete sugar into the blood. Once leaving the stomach, the food travels into the small intestine where carbohydrates, amino acids and fats are absorbed. After entering the large intestine, moisture is absorbed from what
