Oral Cavity: food intake + absorb water +

sugar
Lined by oral mucosa with keratin covering
areas of significant abrasion e.g. tongue
Tongue manipulate + senses food by
papillae + teeth occur mastication = break
down food

Oesophagus:

Transport medium between compartments

Muscular tube from pharynx to stomach
across the diaphragm
Consist of inner circular + outer longitudinal
muscles

Small intestine: duodenum, jejunum, ileum

6m, numerous folds + is large % of

abdominal cavity
Duodenum combines digestive pancreas,
liver secretions with stomach content
Majority of absorption + digestion in
jejunum
Ileum longest, main nutrient digestion and
absorption e.g. fats

Liver:

Mechanical filtering blood from intestinal

system, detoxifies metabolites e.g.
oestrogen.

Salivary Gland:

3 pairs of salivary glands with secretory

epithelium secretes saliva to moisten mouth
Glycoprotein in saliva act as lubricant,
serum amylase digest complex
carbohydrate

Stomach:

Have most gastric glands + most mixing of

food
Inner surface in longitudinal folds = rugue
(stomach stretches)
storage, mechanical breakdown, chemical
digestion, disinfectants stomach acid,
absorption e.g. alcohol
Large intestine: appendix, caecum,
ascending, transverse, descending, sigmoid colon
and rectum
Function = accumulation of unabsorbed
material e,g, faeces
Digestion by bacteria which forms intestinal
gas
Reabsorption of water, salts, sugar, vitamins

Gall bladder:

Storage + concentration of bile thick

liquid with enzymes to dissolve fats in
intestine

Produce bile = breaks down lipids to

increase its surface area for digestive
enzyme
Metabolism of nutrients

Pancreas:

Diagram from https://www.beaumonthospitals.com

Endocrine function = hormone production in

Islets of Langerhans e.g. insulin, glucagon
Exocrine = secretes fluid rich in
carbohydrates + inactive enzymes (lipases,
nuclease etc.) inactive to prevent
digesting pancreas itself