Alimentary Canal
Understanding Alimentary Canal
Alimentary canal basically refers to the digestive system starting from the mouth where food intake occurs and ends at the anus where the waste gets eliminated. Alimentary canal is also known as the human gastrointestinal tract and in broader terms refers to the stomach and the intestines. The canal consists of six human body organs known as the mouth, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, small and large intestines and the anus. The Alimentary canal is basically divided into two parts: upper and the lower gastrointestinal tracts. In an adult male the length of alimentary canal is in the region of five to six meters.
- alimentary canal
Alimentary Canal Organs
In order to study about the Alimentary Canal Organs, it is first necessary to discuss about the anatomy of the alimerntary canal. The upper body organs such as the mouth, pharynx, esophagus, stomach and the upper half of the small intestine constitutes for the upper gastrointestinal tract. The first stage of digestion starts at the mouth where the food intake takes place and with the help of the saliva, tongue and teeth the food gets converted into semi solid form and moves down the pharynx and the esophagus. Muscular contractions make sure that the food enters the stomach and this is known as the second stage of digestion. Gastric juices released by the stomach mix with the food and with the help of muscle contractions within the stomach, food gets converted into a liquid form. The liquid form of the food is then passed into the duodenum. At this digestion stage the liquid is a mix of digested, partly digested and undigested food. The liver is responsible for secreting juices that mix with the liquefied form and all the further digestion occurs in the intestines.
Lower Gastrointestinal Tract
The lower gastrointestinal tract basically comprises of the intestines and the anal region. Duodenum, jejunum and the ilium make up the small intestine. Jejunum is responsible for the transfer of the food from the duodenum to the ilium. Once the food reaches the ilium, the digestive part of it is digested by the blood vessels. The large intestine is divided into three parts all serving their own particular purpose. The first part is known as the cecum and is responsible for connecting both the intestines. The second part is known as the colon and is responsible for the absorption of water and salt. Once the absorption is done by the colon, the undigested food gets secreted out via the anus which is the third portion of the large intestine.
