| The Digestive System is manifested by the presence of the
Mind in the Body. The Digestive process starts in the mouth with the thorough
chewing of the food with the teeth. The tongue mixes the food with saliva
produced under the tongue and jaw and in the cheeks. As the saliva mixes
with the food, it begins the first step in the digestive process by converting
the starchy food into sugars (glucose).
When the food is thoroughly chewed, the tongue helps in the swallowing of the food. The saliva keeps processing the food as it is swallowed and while it travels down the throat but nearly stops when it reaches the stomach. The well- chewed food entering the stomach is already partially processed by saliva. The sugars or glucose is acted upon by gastric juice, and proteins are acted upon by pepsin both of which are produced by the stomach. The stomach thoroughly mixes the gastric juice, pepsin and the food together with its churning and kneading motions. The gastric juice and pepsin dissolve some of the solid foods, releasing fluids and nutrients. Fluids that have been drunk as well as fluids that have been separated from the solids in the stomach and some nutrients are absorbed by stomach into the blood stream which carries them to the liver via the portal vein. The remaining food passes from the stomach into the small intestines. Gastric juice is nutralized in the small intestines. In the small intestines bile and enzymes mix with the food. Bile is produced by the liver and stored in the gall bladder until it is needed in the digestive process in the small intestines. Bile helps break down fats. Pancreatic enzymes flow from the pancreas through the pancreatic duct to the small intestines The pancreatic enzymes digest proteins, carbohydrates and fats. Fluids and nutrients are absorbed by the small intestine into the blood stream which carries them to the liver via the portal vein. From the small intestines the remaining food and waste matter enters the large intestine. The large intestine digests the remaining food with bacteria. Water is also absorbed. Fluid and nutrients are absorbed by the large intestine into the blood stream which carries them to the liver via the portal vein. The remaining waste is moved by the large intestine to the rectum where it is expelled. The final processing of nutrients takes place in the liver. The liver is the largest organ inside the body. The liver is the chemical laboratory of the body. The liver metabolizes carbohydrates, lipids and proteins. The liver also helps in the maintenance of blood sugar levels, the breakdown of fatty acids, the synthesis of cholesterol and the metabolizing of proteins. The liver also stores vitamins until they are needed and removes waste products from the blood. The liver performs around 500 functions. The liver sends the filtered processed nutrient rich blood through the inferior vena cava to the heart which pumps the nutrient rich but oxygen depleted blood to the lungs then back to the heart and then on to the rest of the body. In this way the cells of the body receive the nutrients from the digestive system. The Sense of Taste
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