21.1: Introduction to the Digestive System

Human Anatomy · LibreTexts

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    From LibreTexts, under CC BY 4.0, as the source states it; its equations are written in TeX, which the PDF shows typeset. This page at LibreTexts.

    Chapter Learning Objectives:

    After studying this chapter, you will be able to:

    • List and describe the functional anatomy of the organs and accessory organs of the digestive system
    • Discuss how food moves through the digestive tract
    • Discuss the anatomy of the accessory organs of the digestive system, which include liver, pancreas, and gallbladder

    The digestive system is continually at work, yet people seldom appreciate the complex tasks it performs in a choreographed biologic symphony. Consider what happens when you eat an apple. Of course, you enjoy the apple’s taste as you chew it, but in the hours that follow, unless something goes amiss and you get a stomachache, you don’t notice that your digestive system is working. You may be taking a walk or studying or sleeping, having forgotten all about the apple, but your stomach and intestines are busy digesting it and absorbing its vitamins and other nutrients. By the time any waste material is excreted, the body has appropriated all it can use from the apple. In short, whether you pay attention or not, the organs of the digestive system perform their specific functions, allowing you to use the food you eat to keep you going. This chapter examines the structure of these organs, and explores the mechanics of the digestive system processes.

    2400_Women_Eating_Apples.jpg
    Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\): Eating Apples. Eating may be one of the simple pleasures in life, but digesting even one apple requires the coordinated work of many organs. (credit: “Aimanness Photography”/Flickr)

    Contributors and Attributions

    This page titled 21.1: Introduction to the Digestive System was last modified on Mon, 11 Aug 2025 19:40:27 GMT and is shared under a CC BY 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Whitney Menefee, Julie Jenks, Chiara Mazzasette, and Kim-Leiloni Nguyen (ASCCC Open Educational Resources Initiative) .