Along with the enteric nervous system, digestive activity is regulated by mechanical and chemical stimuli and hormones.
Various receptors located within …
Blood supply to the digestive system is facilitated through the splanchnic circulation.
The celiac trunk and the mesenteric arteries provide oxygenated …
The oral cavity, or mouth, comprises the lips, cheeks, palate, and tongue.
The walls of the mouth are lined with thick, stratified squamous epithelium, …
The tongue, an accessory digestive organ, forms the floor of the oral cavity and extends into the oropharynx.
It is composed of two types of skeletal …
Saliva is composed of 97 to 99.5% water. The remaining proportion includes enzymes such as lipases and amylases, electrolytes, dissolved gasses, IgA, …
The tooth has a crown and a root connected via a constricted area known as the neck.
The crown is visible above the gingivae and is protected by enamel.
…
The esophagus is a muscular conduit approximately 25 cm long that helps transport food from the mouth to the stomach.
It courses through the mediastinum …
The stomach is a J-shaped organ connecting the esophagus to the duodenal end of the small intestine in the abdominal cavity.
The size and shape of the …
The stomach wall consists of several layers, including the serosa, muscularis externa, submucosa, and mucosa.
The outermost layer, the serosa, is composed …
Local, neural and hormonal mechanisms trigger the gastric phase after food enters the stomach, lasting approximately 3-4 hours.
The incoming food bolus …
After the gastric phase, the chyme from the stomach moves into the small intestine, gradually decreasing the stomach distention.
In contrast, the arrival …
Gastric motility is the coordinated movement of stomach muscles and secretions, which propels food and liquids through the stomach.
As the swallowed food …
The liver is the largest gland in the body, weighing approximately 1.4 kg in adults.
It is wedge-shaped and located more in the right hypochondriac and …
The liver comprises several histological components, such as hepatocytes, bile canaliculi, and sinusoids.
Hepatocytes are specialized epithelial cells …
Bile is a yellow-green alkaline liquid secreted by the liver into the right and left hepatic ducts and then into the common hepatic duct. From here, it …
The gallbladder is a muscular sac located in a shallow fossa on the inferior surface of the liver. It measures about 10 cm in length and is roughly the …
Liver functions primarily include bile production, metabolic regulation, and hematological functions.
During carbohydrate metabolism, the liver regulates …
Prominent liver and gallbladder diseases include cirrhosis, hepatitis, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease or NAFLD, and gallstones.
Cirrhosis is a liver …
The pancreas is a pinkish-gray organ located behind the stomach. It extends from the duodenum to the spleen.
It can be divided into a broad head located …
Pancreatic juice is a colorless liquid composed of water, salts, sodium bicarbonate, and enzymes secreted by the exocrine cells.
During digestion, chyme …
The small intestine is a tubular structure extending from the pyloric sphincter of the stomach to the ileocecal valve of the large intestine.
This long, …
The histology of each part of the small intestine varies. The jejunum has the most prominent folds and villi, while the distal ileum has fewer folds but …
The wall of the large intestine comprises four layers: the mucosa, submucosa, muscularis, and serosa.
The mucosa, lined by intestinal glands, consists of …
The final stages of digestion occur in the large intestine when the cecum receives chyme, which has little nutritional value except for the indigestible …
After 3 to 10 hours in the large intestine, chyme undergoes considerable water loss to form feces, the end product of digestion.
It comprises undigested …
The gastrointestinal tract of the digestive system is susceptible to various disorders.
The incompetence of the lower esophageal sphincter results in the …
Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is the most common chronic liver disease in the United States, affecting more than 70 million Americans. NASH can …