One of the most reasily recognized areas of the digestive tract is the first one: The mouth. When you gaze into the mouth, the main focus is the teeth. Teeth are bone-like structures in the jaw that help mechanically break up food. WHile mastication is taking plac,e the salivary glands produce saliva which contains amylase to start breaking down carbohydrates and sugars. Another commonly identified structure is the tongue. The tongue moves food around the mouth while it is being chewed, and forms a bolus of food when swallowing takes place.

.:Once someone takes that final 'gulp' the bolus enters the pharynx. Tghe pharynx has three seperate parts known as: the oropharynx, nasopharynx, and laryngopharynx. The uvula stops food from entereing the nasopharynx and continues its passage towards its next stop.

     After leaving the laryngopharynx, the food encounters the epiglottis. This small flap of cartilage stops food from entering the trachea and directs it towards the esophagus. Once it has been properly placed, the bolus enters a muscular tube known as the esophagus and is pushed through the powerful contraction of smooth muscles. In only a few seconds, the bolus reaches a pouch known as the stomach.

.:The stomach is an organ that has multidimentional muscle layers for mechanical breakdown of food, as well as cells that produce different chemicals for chemical breakdown. Once the bolus enters here, the stomach produces hydrochloric acid and other chemicals for the total breakdown of the bolus. After about 30 minutes of chemical and mechanical destruction, the bolus is transformed into chyme. This is an acidic substance that is ready to enter the small intestine.

    Some structures in the stomach are: The Cardiac Sphincter, cardia, fundus, body, pylorus and pyloric sphincter.

     After leaving the stomach and passing the pyloric sphincter, the chyme will enter the duodenum, the first part of the small intestine. The duodenum is like a junction where the chyme is attacked by bile and numerous other shimcals produced by accesory organs like the liver, pancreas and gallbladder. From there peristalsis will move it through the jeujenum and the ileum. These different parts of the small intestine all absorb the nutrient from the chyme.

    After its journey through the small intestine comes to a close, the chyme will encounter the ilececal sphincter. Once it is allowed passage, the Chyme enters the cecum, the first part of the large intestine.

One will notice the large pocketed surface of the large intestine, these structures are called Haustra and help increase surface area.

Located on the Cecum is the appendix. The appendix is a, basically, vestigial structure that contains lymph tissue.  

After passing the cecum, the chyme enters the Colon. The colon is borken into many parts: The ascending colon, transverse colon, descending colon and sigmoid colon. After the moisture is absorbed, the chyme is considered fecal matter and is ready to be disposed of. It enters the rectum, and passes through and exits the body via the anus.

     As an accesory organ, one could easily disregard the liver. However, that would be a dire misconception. The liver is the largest organ in the body. It produces numeros chemicals that aid in digestion as well as things like thrombin, heparin and prothrombin. The liver is integral to the human body's ability to live. (Hence the name LIVEr)

     The pancreas is a glandular organ that supports the way the body metabolizes food. It produces chemicals like glucagon and inslin, as well as digestive enzymes that aid in the breakdown of chyme. This organ is integral to the understanding of diabetes and blood sugar.

     The Gallbladder is a small organ nestly comfortably behind the liver. Its purpose is simple: Store excess bile from the liver. It may not be vital, but it still serves a purpose in the body.