The digestive system (the alimentary tract) consists of organs breaking down food into components that the body uses for energy and as building and repairing materials.

Food passes down the throat, down through a muscular tube called the esophagus, and into the stomach. The stomach walls which have muscles break up the food more and more.The partially digested food passes into a short tube called the duodenum (first part of the small intestine). The jejunum and ileum are also part of the small intestine. The liver, the gallbladder, and the pancreas produce enzymes and substances that help with digestion in the small intestine.The last section of the digestive tract is the large intestine including the cecum, colon, and rectum. The appendix is a branch of the large intestine; it has no known function. Indigestible remnants of food are expelled through the anus.

The digestive system is a group of organs that works breaking down the chemical components of food, through the use of digestive juices, into tiny nutrients which when absorbed, generate energy for the body. This system also builds and replaces cells and tissues, which are constantly dying. Digestion begins in the mouth with the teeth, which grind the food into small particles; the tongue detecting "good" and "bad" flavors in food, and saliva. It is a saliva that is a watery fluid beginning the process of digestion. The digestive system begins in the mouth, continues in the pharynx (throat) and esophagus and into the "gut" region: the stomach, small and large intestines, the rectum and the anus. Food is chewed, and mixed with saliva. It becomes a soft mass which will easily travel down the esophagus. The throat closes the top of the breathing pipe. If the food accidentally enters these pipes, it goes down the "wrong way" and must be coughed up. When passing through the body, food is mixed with chemicals breaking it down into small units that can be absorbed into the blood and lymph systems. Some is used for energy, some as building blocks for tissues and cells, and some is stored for future. The liver and the pancreas also secrete digestive juices that break down food as it passes through the digestive ducts. Not all that we eat can be digested and wastes are disposed in an efficient way.

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