What Are the Four Main Functions of the Digestive System? (2024)

  • Definition
    • What Is the Digestive System?
  • Physiology
    • What Are the Four Main Functions of the Digestive System?
  • Guide

What Is the Digestive System?

The digestive system breaks down the foods we eat into energy our bodies can use.

The organs that make up the digestive tract include:

  • Mouth
  • Salivary glands
  • Esophagus
  • Stomach
  • Liver
  • Gallbladder
  • Pancreas
  • Small intestine
    • Duodenum
    • Jejunum
    • Ileum
  • Large Intestine
    • Appendix
    • Cecum
    • Colon
    • Rectum
    • Anus

Bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract (also called gut flora or microbiome) also help with digestion, along with parts of the nervous and circulatory systems.

What Are the Four Main Functions of the Digestive System?

The main functions of the digestive system include:

  • Motility
    • Food moves through the digestive tract due to a process called peristalsis, which is the movement of muscles in the GI tract that move the food through the digestive system
    • This involves the breakdown and mixing of ingested nutrients all the way through the elimination of undigested waste from the body
  • Secretion
    • This is the release of enzymes, hormones, and other substances that help the body digest the food that is eaten
    • Hormones tell the body when to produce digestive juices and signal the brain when you are hungry or full
  • Digestion
    • Ingested nutrients including proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and water are reduced into molecules small enough to pass through the lining of the gut and so they can enter the bloodstream
    • The digestive system breaks down foods we consume so the body can use them for energy, growth, and cell repair
      • Proteins break down to amino acids
      • Fats break down to fatty acids and glycerol
      • Carbohydrates break down to simple sugars
  • Absorption
    • The digested nutrients pass from the gut into the blood so the circulatory system or lymph system can pass them on to the rest of the body to use or store
    • The lymph system absorbs fatty acids and vitamins
    • The blood carries simple sugars, amino acids, glycerol, and some vitamins and salts to the liver
      • The liver stores, processes, and delivers these nutrients to the body when needed

References

https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/digestive-diseases/digestive-system-how-it-works

http://www.s-hamilton.us/BiologyHomepage/Term4-98/keittreim-digestivesystem/tothe.htm

What Are the Four Main Functions of the Digestive System? (2024)

FAQs

What Are the Four Main Functions of the Digestive System? ›

Motility, digestion, absorption and secretion are the four vital functions of the digestive system. The digestive system breaks down the foods we eat into energy our bodies can use.

What are 4 main functions of the digestive system? ›

The accessory organs include the teeth, tongue, and glandular organs such as salivary glands, liver, gallbladder, and pancreas. The main functions of the GI system include ingestion and digestion of food, nutrient absorption, secretion of water and enzymes, and excretion of waste products.

What are the 4 most important parts of the digestive system? ›

stomach (and duodenum) small intestine (or small bowel) colon (or large intestine/bowel) and rectum.

What are the 4 basic types of digestive system? ›

Certain animal species digest different types of meals better than others. This distinction arises from the numerous types of digestive systems present in animals. Digestion systems are classified into four types: monogastric, avian, ruminant, and pseudo-ruminant.

What are the four main functions of the digestive system quizlet? ›

Food is processed by the digestive system in four places-ingestion, digestion, absorption, and elimination.

What are the functions of the digestive system for primary 4? ›

The main functions of the digestive system include:
  • Motility. Food moves through the digestive tract due to a process called peristalsis, which is the movement of muscles in the GI tract that move the food through the digestive system. ...
  • Secretion. ...
  • Digestion. ...
  • Absorption.

What are the 4 functions of the stomach? ›

The core function of the human stomach is as an aid to digestion. The four key components of gastric digestive function are its function as a reservoir, acid secretion, enzyme secretion and its role in gastrointestinal motility.

What are the 4 stages of the digestive system? ›

The digestive system is composed of the mouth, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine (or colon), rectum, and anus. There are four steps in the digestion process: ingestion, the mechanical and chemical breakdown of food, nutrient absorption, and elimination of indigestible food.

What are the 4 main functions of the digestive system in animals? ›

Function of the Digestive System in Animals

The primary functions of the GI tract include prehension of food and water; mastication, salivation, and swallowing of food; digestion of food and absorption of nutrients; maintenance of fluid and electrolyte balance; and evacuation of waste products.

What are the 4 structures of the digestive system? ›

The hollow organs that make up the GI tract are the mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, and anus. The liver, pancreas, and gallbladder are the solid organs of the digestive system. The small intestine has three parts.

What is digestion 4? ›

Digestion is defined as the process of breaking down large, insoluble molecules of food into smaller, water-soluble molecules which can then be readily absorbed by the body. Digestion is one among many life processes observed in nearly all living organisms.

What are the 4 methods of digestion? ›

The processes of digestion include six activities: ingestion, propulsion, mechanical or physical digestion, chemical digestion, absorption, and defecation.

What is first on the list of the four main components of the digestive system? ›

Expert-Verified Answer. The digestive tract of human starts with the mouth and ends with the anus. The four main components of digestive system are mouth, Oesophagus, pancreas and stomach.

What are the 4 main organs of the digestive system? ›

The main organs that make up your digestive system are the organs known as your gastrointestinal tract. They are: your mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine and anus.

What are the 7 main functions of the digestive system? ›

  • • Six Functions of the Digestive System.
  • Ingestion.
  • Mechanical processing.
  • Digestion.
  • Secretion.
  • Absorption.
  • Excretion.

What are the four basic processes that take place in the digestive system quizlet? ›

Motility, secretion, digestion, and absorption. What kind of a sugar is fructose?

What is the order of the 4 major steps of the digestive system? ›

Stages for Digestion:
  • The first bite triggers the start of food processing.
  • Digestion.
  • The assimilation of nutrients.
  • Waste removal by egestion.

What are the 3 main purposes of the digestive system? ›

The digestive system has three main functions relating to food: digestion of food, absorption of nutrients from food, and elimination of solid food waste. Digestion is the process of breaking down food into components the body can absorb.

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