Digestive Organs: Structure, Function & Diseases

The entire digestive system breaks down food into simple substances in order to extract the usable substances for the organism. It practically consists of a long tube to which various digestive organs are attached.

What are digestive organs?

Digestive organs include the mouth, throat, tongue the esophagus, pancreas, liver the stomach, gallbladder, duodenum, small intestine and colon, rectum and anus. However, intestinal bacteria, enzymes and many other processes also significantly support digestion.

Anatomy and structure

Schmatic representation of the digestive organs in humans. Click to enlarge. The digestive system is similar in all vertebrates. The entire system extends from the mouth to the anus. All along the way, food is broken down or transformed by the addition of various enzymes. Nutrients are pulled out during the process and transported into the body or individual cells. Each digestive organ has a function following the previous one and thus all organs are dependent on each other. A more detailed anatomy of each organ, find in the jweiligen articles.

Functions and tasks

Digestion already begins with the organs mouth and tongue. In the mouth, food is chewed and that means it is processed into small parts that can be processed, ideally a coarse porridge. The salivary glands are also located in the mouth. If food is now in the mouth, saliva is produced and this is already a digestive juice. It contains the enzyme amylase, which ensures that starch in the food is already broken down. The salivary fluid also facilitates swallowing and thus the further transport of food through the body. The food passes through the esophagus into the stomach by means of muscles that push the food pulp along. In the stomach, the food is then kneaded with the help of muscles. The stomach lining produces gastric acid. This consists of hydrochloric acid and pepsin, which can break down proteins. At the end of the stomach is a kind of sphincter that only opens when the food is ready for further processing. From the stomach, the food now passes on to the small intestine . This is further differentiated between the duodenum and the ileum. The duodenum produces more digestive enzymes and the ileum then absorbs the dissolved nutrients. The mucous membrane of the small intestine as a whole is equipped with so-called villi, this gives the small intestine as a whole a huge surface area and thus ensures a much better absorption process of the nutrients. Here they pass directly on into the blood and lymphatic system. The duodenum is connected to the pancreas, which adds further digestive juices to the food pulp. These juices are alkaline and thus counteract stomach acid. In addition, important hormones such as insulin and glucagon are produced here, which are responsible for controlling blood sugar levels. The liver and gallbladder send out digestive enzymes that can break down fats, especially when needed. The fluid is stored in the gallbladder and released into the small intestine when needed. From the small intestine, the digested food passes into the large intestine. Here, a large amount of water is removed from the unusable food residues. The last part of the large intestine is called the rectum and ends with the anus, a sphincter from which the no longer usable food remains are excreted from the body again.

Diseases, ailments and disorders

Complaints that can occur in connection with the digestive system are varied. Already starting with bad or failing teeth, deficiencies in optimal digestion can occur. Often there is also inflammation of the esophagus, which can cause pain, especially when eating. The stomach is more often affected by gastritis, which can also lead to problems with food utilization if left untreated. Intestinal problems are often caused by foreign pathogens or drugs that cause a different reaction in the digestive system. In particular, this can lead to diarrhea or constipation. Even the end system of the intestine can be affected by diseases. These are, for example, hemorrhoids, which indicate a weak conjunctiva and make excretion difficult. Particularly severe cases require surgical treatment.More rarely, malignant diseases can also occur in each individual digestive organ. Since this is usually not noticed by pain – at least not early – a precaution is necessary. Chronic diseases, such as the autoimmune disease Crohn’s disease, which gradually scars the intestines, are also a major limitation in digestion.