What are the functions of the gastrointestinal tract

Nowadays, people are paying more and more attention to their physical health, but some friends will think of the heart, liver, spleen, lungs and kidneys, and are not easy to associate with the gastrointestinal tract. They think that the gastrointestinal tract is naturally like this and there is nothing to worry about. This idea is very wrong. The gastrointestinal tract is an important organ in our body. If there is a problem with it, it will also affect our health. And some diseases can be caused by gastrointestinal problems. Let’s take a look at the functions of our gastrointestinal tract.

The stomach is like a cloth bag and is located in the upper left abdominal cavity. It is the largest part of the digestive tract, connecting the cardia and esophagus above and the pylorus and duodenum below. There are many rugged mucous membranes on the inner surface of the stomach, like hills and valleys. When the stomach is filled with food, the mucosa expands, allowing a larger contact area between the food and the stomach. The stomach is a storage and processing plant for food and is the main organ for food digestion. The stomach can secrete a large amount of highly acidic gastric juice (pH 0.9 ~ 1.5). Its main ingredients are pepsin which can break down protein, hydrochloric acid which can promote protein digestion, and mucus which protects the gastric mucosa from being digested by itself. A normal adult secretes about 1.5 to 2.5 liters of gastric juice per day.

After rough processing in the mouth, the food enters the stomach, is stirred and mixed through the peristalsis of the stomach, and with the action of a large amount of enzymes in the digestive juice in the stomach, the food finally becomes a porridge-like mixture, which is beneficial for intestinal digestion and absorption. Therefore, the stomach is the food processing plant and the final stop for food digestion and absorption. Digestion and absorption are important processes for people to absorb nutrients from the outside world, and also refer to the process of food processing and extraction in the digestive tract. Digestion is a series of processing steps after food enters the mouth, which ultimately transforms the essence of food - nutrients - into a form that can be absorbed and utilized.

If our body is compared to a car, then the heart is our engine, the brain and eyes are our steering wheel, the limbs are our wheels, and the gastrointestinal tract is the fuel tank of our body. Without the gastrointestinal tract, our body has no way to absorb nutrients from the outside, and this car cannot be refueled! It cannot be driven.