The alimentary canal comprises the anatomic structures
through which ingested food passes during digestion and absorption, ending with the
excretion of food waste via the anus.
The
anatomic structures of the alimentary canal are listed as follows, in order as they
exist between the mouth and the anus. The adult human alimentary canal is approximately
20 feet long.
Mouth (oral
cavity)
Pharynx
(throat)
Hypopharynx
Esophagus
Stomach
Duodenum
Small
intestine (jejunum)
Small intestine
(ileum)
Cecum
Ascending
colon
Transverse
colon
Descending colon
Sigmoid
colon
Rectum
Anus
Anal
sphincter
A broader term used in medicine for
the canal and associated digestive organs is the human gastrointestinal (GI) system.
The system includes accessory digestive organs that secrete materials into various
segments of the system to aid in the digestive
process.
In the oral cavity the salivary and
accessory salivary glands add saliva to the ingested
food.
In the duodenum the gall bladder and
pancreas add their secretions to facilitate digestion and absorption of
food.
The reference defines the human GI tract
and gives detailed information on embryology, anatomy, histology (microscopic anatomy),
transit time and pathology (disease).
No comments:
Post a Comment