The digestive system of the body includes a group of hollow organs that form the digestive tract, also known as the alimentary canal or gastrointestinal tract. These organs include the mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, rectum and anus. These organs perform the process of digestion, the breakdown of large food particles into smaller molecules absorbed by the body for energy. In addition to these, other organs also perform vital digestive functions by secreting digestive juices which help to breakdown the food.
Mouth
The mouth, the first organ of the digestive system, functions to take in food. The mouth also contains salivary glands which function to secrete saliva--fluid containing water, electrolytes, enzymes and mucus--according to Colorado State University. As the first digestive juice secreted, saliva works to break down starches, also known as complex carbohydrates, into simple sugars.
Stomach
From the mouth the food moves through the esophagus and into the stomach. The lining of the stomach secretes digestive juices which include stomach acid and enzymes. These enzymes work to break down proteins into amino acids, according to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse.
Pancreas
The pancreas is a small organ located next to the small intestine in the upper portion of the abdomen. As the partially digested food leaves the stomach and enters the small intestine, digestive juices secreted by the pancreas mix with it. The digestive juice produced in the pancreas contains enzymes that aid in further digesting proteins, carbohydrates and fats, as described by the University of Montana.
Liver
The liver, the largest organ in the body according to New York State University, occupies the area under the diaphragm. Divided into four lobes, the liver performs several functions. In addition to storing carbohydrates and removing toxins from the blood, it secretes bile, a yellowish fluid that aids in the digestion of fat. Once produced by liver cells, the bile travels through the bile ducts to be stored in the gallbladder until needed.
Fats, or lipids, do not dissolve in water. Bile contains salts that help to emulsify, or mix, the fats with liquid in the digestive system. This allows the pancreatic lipase, the enzyme produced in the pancreas, to digest the fats further so they can be absorbed into the bloodstream.
Gallbladder
The gallbladder, often written as gall bladder, is a small, pear-shaped organ located behind the liver. The gallbladder acts as a storage tank that stores the bile produced by the liver. When food enters the small intestine, the gallbladder secretes bile through the bile ducts into the duodenum---the upper portion of the small intestine.
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