Guide to Clear Liquid Diet For Novice

By Barry C. Glenn

Also known as the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, the digestive system begins at the mouth, includes the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine (also known as the colon) and rectum, and ends at the anus. The entire system - from mouth to anus - is about 30 feet (9 meters) long, according to the American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE). Digestion begins with the mouth. Even the smell of food can generate saliva, which is secreted by the salivary glands in the mouth, contains an enzyme, salivary amylase, which breaks down starch. Teeth, which are part of the skeletal system, play a key role in digestion. In carnivores, teeth are designed for killing and breaking down meat. Herbivores' teeth are made for grinding plants and other food to ease them through the digestion process. Swallowing pushes chewed food into the esophagus, where it passes through the oropharynx and hypopharynx. At this point, food takes the form of a small round mass and digestion becomes involuntary. A series of muscular contractions, called peristalsis, transports food through the rest of the system. The esophagus empties into the stomach, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The stomach's gastric juice, which is primarily a mix of hydrochloric acid and pepsin, starts breaking down proteins and killing potentially harmful bacteria, according to ASGE. After an hour or two of this process, a thick semi-liquid paste, called chyme, forms.At this point the pyloric sphincter valve opens and chyme enters the duodenum, where it mixes with digestive enzymes from the pancreas and acidic bile from the gall bladder, according to the Cleveland Clinic. The next stop for the chyme is the small intestine, a 20-foot (6-meter) tube-shaped organ, where the majority of the absorption of nutrients occurs. The nutrients move into the bloodstream and are transported to the liver. The liver creates glycogen from sugars and carbohydrates to give the body energy and converts dietary proteins into new proteins needed by the blood system. The liver also breaks down unwanted chemicals, such as alcohol, which is detoxified and passed from the body as waste, the Cleveland Clinic noted.Whatever material is left goes into the large intestine. The function of the large intestine, which is about 5 feet long (1.5 meters), is primarily for storage and fermentation of indigestible matter. Also called the colon, it has four parts: the ascending colon, the transverse colon, the descending colon and the sigmoid colon. This is where water from the chyme is absorbed back into the body and feces are formed primarily from water (75 percent), dietary fiber and other waste products, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Feces are stored here until they are eliminated from the body through defecation.ultrasound.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0924678MP
• ISBN13: 9798735237396
• Release Date: January 1
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 96 Pages
• Weight: 0.27 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.2" x 5.5" x 8.5"