The Digestive and Excretory Systems - Research Paper Example

The Digestive and Excretory Systems The body is composed of multiple systems. These systems work together to form life. Each body system forms a particular function. They are organized groups of tissues that work with other systems in the body (Walker, 2007). It is important to understand how the body functions and why the health of each body system is critical. Some of the major systems of are digestive, circulatory, nervous, respiratory and muscular. The digestive system is one of the major systems of the human body. The digestive system is made up of the body parts that transform raw food into nutrients that the body needs. It also moves the nutrients and waste through the body (Cooper, 2007). The digestive system has many parts that work together. These are the mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, pancreas, liver, gall bladder, colon, rectum and anus. The mouth is the beginning of the digestive tract. Through chewing, the mouth breaks the food into pieces to easily digest food, while saliva mixes with food to begin the process of breaking it down into a form the body can absorb and use (Cooper, 2007). The esophagus receives food from the mouth swallowing, thus delivering food to the stomach. The stomach is a hollow organ, or "container," that holds food. It uses enzymes that help the process of breaking down food into a usable form. Cells in the lining of the stomach secrete strong acid and powerful enzymes that are responsible for the breakdown process (Cooper, 2007). After the stomach processes the contents, they are released into the small intestine. The small intestine is a 22-foot long muscular tube that breaks down food with the help of enzymes released by the pancreas and bile from the liver. Once the nutrients have been absorbed and the leftover-food residue liquid has passed through the small intestine, it then moves on to the large intestine, or colon. The pancreas secretes digestive enzymes which break down protein, fats and carbohydrates into the duodenum, the first segment of the small intestine. The pancreas also makes insulin, the chief hormone for metabolizing sugar secreting it directly into the bloodstream (Chiras, 2003). The liver is the most critical part of the digestive system. It has many functions, but the most important function of the liver is to process the nutrients absorbed from the small intestine. The liver is the body’s chemical "factory” because it takes the raw materials absorbed by the intestine. All the various chemicals that the body needs to function are processed by liver. More importantly, the liver also detoxifies potentially harmful chemicals that can harm the body’s health. The gallbladder stores and concentrates bile, and then releases it into the duodenum to help absorb and digest fats. The large intestine is a highly specialized organ that is responsible for processing waste so that emptying the bowels is easy and convenient. It is the rectums job to receive stool from the colon. It lets the body know that there is stool to be evacuated, and to hold the stool until evacuation happens. The anus is where the digestive process ends. It is surrounded by sphincter muscles which prevent the body waste from escaping until the appropriate time (Walker, 2007). The excretory system removes any materials that are dangerous or unnecessary from the body. First, it helps the body maintain homeostasis. Second, it prevents any damage to human tissues that might occur from the metabolic waste (Chiras, 2003). The most important organs of the excretory system are the lungs, kidneys and skin. Waste gases are removed through the lungs. Liquid waste passes through the kidneys, and dead cells and sweat are pushed out through the skin. Other organs in the excretory system include the ureters, bladder and urethra. It is important to eliminate waste from the body because waste is toxic and building up of waste in the body should be prevented because it is harmful to the body’s health (Walker, 2007). Some wastes like urea and even salt, cause harm to the body organs. The body eliminates waste thru stool, urine, sweating and breathing. Waste is also eliminated thru the skin. Cells are constantly dying but are being reproduced in the body. Dead cells are pushed out by the body by becoming part of the skin, hair, fingernails and toenails (Cooper, 2007). Sweat also helps to remove some of the waste accumulated in the body. Waste is also eliminated thru urine, during the process of circulating oxygen and waste gases in the body, red blood cells move through the kidneys to drop off liquid waste, such as water, unused nutrients and a material called urea that contains nitrogen (Cooper, 2007). The kidneys filter the waste from the blood through nephrons. The waste materials are collected together into urine and are removed when urinating. When a person breathes, the lungs supply oxygen to the red blood cells circulated through them. The red blood cells then deposit the oxygen in the bodys tissues and collect the gases produced by the tissues (Chiras, 2003). These waste gases are brought back to the lungs to be breathed out. The digestive and excretory systems play important roles in the human body. While food is needed to survive, food cannot be used by our body in its usual form. Foods and liquids need to be broken down mechanically and chemically into very small particles/molecules. These nutrient molecules are absorbed through the wall of the small intestine and transferred around the body thru the blood, to nourish cells and organs and to provide a source of energy for our body (Walker, 2007). The digestive and excretory system does this. Thus, maintaining healthy digestive and excretory systems is extremely important for the body’s general health and well-being. Persons who do not take care of their digestive and excretory systems might experience difficulties at some stage (e. g., heartburn, diarrhea or constipation). Disease or illness can really mean a down turn in life. The biggest asset that one can have in life therefore is health. When people are in good health, people will be happy and enthusiastic in life. Sickly people will dread every moment of their pain and are not able to have joy and peace. References Chiras, D. (2003). Human body systems: Structure, function and environment. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Learning. Cooper, S. (2007). Human body systems: Maintaining the bodys functions. Minneapolis, MN: Compass Point Books. Walker, D. (2007). Body systems. New York, NY: Smart Apple Media. Read More