Digestive System

The digestive system includes several parts of the body including the esophagus, stomach, intestines, liver, pancreas, gallbladder, and more. The digestive system begins in the mouth as food travels through our body in a long tube in our body called the digestive tract. In the digestive tract, the food is broken down into smaller pieces. Once food leaves the mouth, it travels into the esophagus and then is released into the stomach where the food is broken down into a liquid mixture. Once the food is turned into a liquid mixture in the stomach, it then travels to the small intestine. The small intestine further breaks down the food. The pancreas, liver, and gallbladder all send different juices to the small intestine. These juices help digest food and absorb nutrients. The large intestine receives leftover waste from the food a person eats. It is nearly the last stop of the digestive system where the body will absorb more water and minerals into the blood. As the water leaves, the remaining waste gets harder and turns into stool. The stool then is released into the rectum where it is eventually released from the body.