Anatomical Structure and Functions
Having a rather complicated structure, the human digestive system consists of eight distinctive parts, namely, “the mouth, the esophagus, the stomach, the small intestine, and the large intestine” (Kibble & Halsey, 2020, p. 321). The nature of the anatomical structure of the digestive system allows obtaining nutrients from food in the most effective way possible. Specifically, the structure of the digestive system is specifically designed for splitting food into its key components so that the nutrients contained in it could be released and delivered to the respective organs. Namely, the saliva allows starting the process of breaking the food down into its primary components. Afterward, the food is transported through the esophagus with the help of peristalsis into the stomach, where it further decomposes with the help of the acidic components and enzymes that help to turn the food into the form that can be absorbed and transported further. In the small intestine, the food is affected by the enzymes released by the pancreas and the bile from the liver. Finally, the waste left from the processed food is transported into the larger intestine, where it is released from the body through the rectum (Kibble & Halsey, 2020).
Accessory Organs in Digestion
Apart from the organs mentioned above, accessory ones also play a major part in the digestion process. These include teeth, which allow grinding the food into smaller particles, the tongue, which pushes the food down the digestive tract, and salivary glands, which release the saliva needed to split the food into its components. Furthermore, liver and gallbladder are also regarded as the accessory organs since they release the enzymes that lead to faster digestion and the decomposition of the food so that it could be split into the primary elements that will be, later on, delivered to respective organs.
Chemical Reactions
Finally, one should mention the complexity of the chemical reactions that occur during the digestive process. Namely, the in the course of digestion, larger molecules are split into simpler ones, therefore, allowing the body to absorb essential nutrients. Specifically, a process known as hydrolysis occurs within the digestive system once food passes through it. Hydrolysis is typically defined as the chemical reaction in the course of which molecular bonds are broken with the help of water (Lovegrove et al., 2017). The specified process serves as the catalyst for the digestion process and increases the speed of food processing.
Delving into the process of hydrolysis will help to realize that after it occurs, the food processed in the human body is transformed into glucose. Although the shapes that hydrolysis may take may vary extensively depending on the type of food consumed and the components and elements that it contains, the general formula for the process is rather basic. Specifically, if representing the compound that is being split in the course of hydrolysis as AB, and depicting water as HOH, the formula for the process will look the following way: AB + HOH ⇌ AH + BOH (Lovegrove et al., 2017). As seen in the specified template for the analysis of the digestion process, the compounds may be released as hydroxides. However, the specified formula is not the only possible way of describing the reactions occurring during digestion. Since the reactions in the specified process include hydrolyses of acids, the following formula, where R represents a combining group, apply: RCO―OR (Lovegrove et al., 2017).
References
Kibble, J. D., & Halsey, C. R. (2009). Medical physiology: The big picture. Singapore Medical Journal, 50(8), 833. Web.
Lovegrove, A., Edwards, C. H., De Noni, I., Patel, H., El, S. N., Grassby, T.,… Shewry, P. R. (2017). Role of polysaccharides in food, digestion, and health. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 57(2), 237-253.