Functions of organs in the digestive system,(BASIC)

Essay by ShashankJunior High, 7th grade December 2002

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Salivary Glands

The mouth contains the salivary glands, which is a digestive gland. The salivary glands produce a liquid substance called saliva. The saliva acts as a cleanser to the teeth by dissolving food particles so that they may be eaten. Saliva also contains enzymes and mucus. There are three major pairs of salivary glands. The parotid gland carries its contents and drains the mouth. The submandibular gland empties its contents on the floor of the mouth on both sides. The sublingual gland process several small sublingual ducts that are released onto the floor of the mouth in an area posterior to the submandibular ducts.

Esophagus

The esophagus is a muscular tube, which carries food and liquids from the throat to the stomach for digestion after it has been chewed. The food then travels downward toward the stomach by strong waves of muscles that are contracting through the walls of the esophagus.

If you have eaten any food that is bad or something that is poison the stomach will make it all travel all the way back up the esophagus and you will start throwing it up. This procedure is called vomiting.

Stomach

Connected to the esophagus is an organ called the "stomach". Which consists of layers of muscles. The stomach breaks down food, which began in the mouth. It also acts as a storage compartment. Some of its functions are the following. (1) Holds a meal in the upper portion and releases it a little at a time into the lower portion for processing. (2) The muscles contract and mash the food into a sticky, slushy mass. (3) The cells in the stomach produce acid that kills germs

Liver

The liver cleanses the blood circulating throughout your body and processes nutritional molecules, which are given out to the tissues.