NUTR SCI 132 Chapter Notes - Chapter 3: Digestion, Peristalsis, Gastrointestinal Tract
19 Feb 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
Foods that are inside the digestive tract are still outside of the body, until the intestines absorb them- the intestine walls form a boundary that separates food that you have eaten from the cells and organs inside your body. Our food contains substances that we want to keep out of our body, known as pathogens. Digestive system kills many of these, and our immune system is very active in our intestines. Gut interacts with our food to send vital nutrients to the cells and organs. Digestive system (gastro-intestinal system, gi) breaks down complex foods into simple components and absorbs these nutrients into the body. The process of moving food through the gut and dispersing it into small particles. Gut has two types of muscles- circular bands of muscles ringing the gi tract and longitudinal muscles running along it. Strong ring of muscle that act as valves and control flow between different parts of the digestive tract.
