Vy Nguyen SCI228/Prof.

Erin 3/10/13 Part One: The screen shot below from the online interactive activity lists all the parts of the human digestive system.

Part Two: In this section each body part is listed with their location from the top of the head to the bottom of the torso. A. Pharynx: the nasal cavity and oral cavity make up this body part which is located in the skull. B. Salivary Glands: These glands are located at the back of the oropharynx or back of the throat. C. Esophagus: This is the pathway food travels from the pharynx to the stomach. It is located medial in the chest cavity right behind the trachea. D. Stomach: This organ is located in the left upper quadrant of the abdominal cavity, below the diaphragm and under the lower ribs 9-12. E. Liver: Located in the right upper quadrant of the abdominal cavity, also below the diaphragm and under the lower ribs 9-12 on the bodies right side.

F. Gallbladder: This small gland is located in the right upper quadrant to the left of the liver and right to the stomach. G. Pancreas: This organ is located inferior and dorsal to the stomachs right side and is within the upper quadrants of the abdominal cavity. H. Small Intestine: This organ is located throughout the entire abdominal cavity and is surrounded by the large intestine on all four sides. I. Appendix: This structure is located at the end of the small intestine and the large intestine. J. Large Intestine: Located in all four quadrants of the abdominal cavity, this structure begins in the lower right quadrant ascending to below the liver in the right upper quadrant and then moving to the left side of the body under the stomach. It then descends from the left upper quadrant to the lower quadrant and ending at the colon. K. Rectum: Located on the backside of the body underneath the tailbone. This structure is the end of the large intestine and the beginning of the anal cavity. Part Three: As shown in the screen shot below from our interactive activity, this section lists the digestive functions located in each of the major areas of the digestive system.

Chemical Digestion Propulsion

Mechanical Digestion

Absorption

Part Four: The mechanisms of the digestive system are defined below. A. Chemical Digestion: Chemical digestion is defined as the use of a bodily fluid to break down food to its component molecules. An example of this is when the gastric juices are released into the stomach to break down a piece of pizza eaten earlier that day. B. Mechanical Digestion: When we chew our food, we are performing mechanical digestion. This is done by taking a bite with the front teeth to initially cut the substance. The bite is then ground up into smaller particles using the back molars. C. Absorption: Once food has been broken down into its components, it is then absorbed by the body from the small intestine into the blood stream or lymphatic system, depending on the type of substance. Sugars or carbohydrates are absorbed into the blood stream as they are water soluble substances that provide energy to the bodys cells. D. Propulsion: Can be defined as the act of pushing food through the digestive system. Once a person has chewed their food, that substance is swallowed and pushed down the esophagus. This action continues all the way through the system.