The stomach is a dynamic organ, too. It churns, squeezes, and grinds boluses of food and mixes them with gastric secretions. Peristalsis continues in the stomach and is the driving force for blending food with stomach acid. Stomach secretions help make nutrients available for absorption later in the small intestine.

Gravity can also aid in moving a meal through your esophagus. By sitting upright, the food you eat can travel swiftly and comfortably down the esophagus and into your stomach. The digestion process involves the alimentary canal along with various accessory organs and organ systems. In humans, the process is quite simple due to our monogastric nature. This means that we have a one-chambered stomach, unlike other animals such as cows, which have four chambers.Within the abdominal cavity, the esophagus enters the stomach. This is a dilated area of the alimentary canal that participates in both mechanical and chemical digestion. It is divided into four main parts, namely the: The absence of salivary glands in frogs means that lubrication of food is facilitated by mucus secreted from the lining of the bucco-pharyngeal cavity and esophagus. The food is then propelled down the esophagus by peristalsis, a wave-like contraction of the muscular wall. Absorbing Cells: In contrast to goblet cells, absorbing cells are smaller in size. They play a pivotal role in the absorption of digested nutrients. Similar to goblet cells, their nuclei are also situated near the base. In the middle of a meal, peristalsis and stomach acid rev up. Gastric secretions are at an all-time high mid-meal. The muscular stomach is rapidly mixing food and drink with hydrochloric acid. This ensures plenty of fluid in which to break down each bite of food. After food is liquified, it is referred to as chyme.

The entry of acidic chyme into the duodenum prompts the release of several intestinal hormones, each with specific roles: Primary organs: mouth, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, small intestines (duodenum, jejunum, ileum), large intestine (colon), rectum and anal canalMonogastric organisms like humans have two kinds of digestive processes occurring in the digestive tract – mechanical and chemical digestion. Once the desired food is obtained, the digestive process begins in the mouth with mechanical digestion. Here the teeth are used to cut, tear, and grind chunks of food into smaller particles. This process of mastication involves the alternating action of the muscles of mastication (namely, the superficial and deep masseter, the pterygoids, and the temporalis muscles). Those compounds are extracted from your food through the digestive process. It’s the method by which your diet’s fats, sugars, proteins, fiber, and essential vitamins and minerals—as well as other important nutrients—find their way out of the food you eat to power your body. Digestion also removes waste. And this process is constantly going on in your body. Bulging of Orbits: Behind the vomerine teeth, the roof of the buccal cavity exhibits two large oval areas. These areas represent the inward bulging of the eyeballs. When swallowing food, the frog depresses its eyes, causing these orbits to push inward, which in turn helps push the food towards the pharynx.

Duodenum, jejunum and ileum are small Intestine structures. Absorption is one of the functions of the small intestine. The villi help with these activities by increasing the surface area of the gut, allowing for greater absorption. Thus, it is a nutrition absorber. Hormones and chemicals are released into the small intestine by the exocrine liver and pancreas. Descending colon - extends from splenic flexure to the sigmoid colon; stores feces that will be emptied into the sigmoid colon Also called the throat, the pharynx is the portion of the digestive tract that receives the food from your mouth. Branching off the pharynx is the esophagus, which carries food to the stomach, and the trachea or windpipe, which carries air to the lungs. Digestive Tract Fact #3 – Stomach rumbles are produced by peristaltic contractions as they move contents through the intestinal tract. They occur during digestion and can continue two hours after the stomach has emptied. Small Intestine Sigmoid colon - contracts to increase pressure inside the colon, causing the stool to move into the rectumThe esophagus is a muscular tube extending from the pharynx and behind the trachea to the stomach. Food is pushed through the esophagus and into the stomach by means of a series of contractions called peristalsis.

This article aims to give an overview of the anatomy and function of the digestive tract. Details regarding neurovascular supply, histology, and clinically significant points regarding each segment of the digestive tract can be found in the respective articles. It will also briefly mention a few elements of the abdominal examination.

Digestive Tract Fact #1 – The salivary glands in your mouth secrete between one and one-and-one-half liters of saliva every day. Esophagus The mouth of a frog is a vital component of its digestive system, serving as the initial point of entry for food. It is characterized by a very wide gap that spans from one side of the snout to the other. Structurally, the mouth is bounded by two bony jaws. These jaws are enveloped by immovable lips, which play a role in the frog’s ability to capture and hold onto its prey. Breaks down spent erythrocytes -> production of bilirubin -> bilirubin sent to the liver -> secreted in the bile