Understanding the Human Digestive System

All food and drinks that enter the body, will go through the processing in the digestive system. There are many organs involved in the human digestive system, to make the food you eat digestible and absorbed by the body. The human digestive system is designed to convert all the food you consume into nutrition, which will later be used for the development and repair of body cells, as well as a source of energy. To be able to use it as a nutrient, the body needs to convert protein to amino acids, fat to fatty acids, and carbohydrates to sugar.

Organs in the Human Digestive System

To be used as a source of energy, food and drinks that enter the body must be processed first. The process is quite complicated and long. At least, it takes about 30-40 hours before the remaining digestion of food is removed through bowel movements. When processing food, there are many organs involved in the process. Here are some organs that are responsible for the human digestive system:

• Mouth

The digestion process starts from the mouth. In the mouth, food is bitten, chewed and crushed until smooth. Saliva mixed with food will break down chemicals in the food and make food soft and easy to swallow. The tongue also helps direct food in the mouth so that it can be bitten by the teeth, and encourage it to be swallowed.

• Throat and esophagus (esophagus)

After swallowing, food will pass through the throat (pharynx) and esophagus (esophagus). The esophagus is a channel that is about 25 cm long, from the pharynx to the stomach. The esophagus will deliver food that has been swallowed for further processing in the stomach. Inside the esophagus, there is a valve called an epiglottis. This section serves to protect the airways when swallowing food or drinks. If food or drink enters the respiratory tract, you may experience coughing or choking.

• Stomach

The meeting place of the stomach and the tip of the esophagus is guarded by special muscles called the lower esophageal sphincter. This muscle functions to keep food that has entered and processed in the stomach does not go back up into the esophagus. When entered into the stomach, food will be stirred and ground. Stomach secretes acids and enzymes to continue the process of breaking down food. In addition to breaking down food, the stomach can kill bacteria that might be present in the food consumed. In the stomach, food will be made into concentrated liquid or in the form of pasta, and then it will be pushed into the small intestine.

• Small intestine

Foods that have become concentrated or semi-solid liquid in the form of pasta (also called chimus or chyme), are then pushed into the small intestine. The small intestine consists of three parts, namely the duodenum (12 fingers intestine), jejunum (empty intestine), and ileum (the last part of the small intestine), which have their respective duties. Food moves from one part to another part of the intestine with the help of intestinal peristalsis. Peristalsis is a series of contraction movements and muscle relaxation in the digestive tract, which serves to push food. The duodenum is responsible for continuing the process of breaking down food, while the jejunum and ileum are responsible for the process of absorption of nutrients into the bloodstream. The small intestine will continue the process of breaking down food by using enzymes released by the pancreas, and bile from the liver.

• Colon

After the nutrients in the food are circulated to the blood, then of course there is food digestion which is in the form of waste. Waste that will be removed from the body is first processed in the large intestine. Before disposal, the waste will pass through the large intestine called the colon. Anatomically, the colon starts from the cecum (read cecum), which is located in the lower right abdominal cavity. The appendix is ​​located in this section. In the colon, there is absorption of water and some minerals into the blood. Furthermore, the large intestine will push food waste in the form of feces into the rectum, which is the last stop in the digestive tract. Furthermore, when this stool will be removed through the anus, you will feel heartburn and have a bowel movement.

When digesting food, the body will sometimes feel sleepy and the urge to sleep after eating appears. If it happens occasionally, that's fine. But if it becomes a habit, then it can be a bad thing for health. The human digestive system must be healthy in order to function properly to process food. Some diseases that often occur in the digestive system are gastritis, stomach acid disease, diarrhea, constipation, and hemorrhoids. Disorders of the digestive system if left untreated in the long run can affect a person's nutritional status. To maintain the health of the digestive system, you are advised to drink plenty of water and increase consumption of foods high in fiber, including fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. If you experience problems and disorders of the human digestive system, immediately consult a doctor to get the right treatment.