It is digested in the human digestive system. How does digestion work in the body? Department of digestion - stomach

Nutrition is a complex process, as a result of which substances necessary for the body are supplied, digested and absorbed. Over the past ten years, a special science dedicated to nutrition has been actively developing - nutriciology. In this article, we will consider the process of digestion in the human body, how long it lasts and how to do without a gallbladder.

The structure of the digestive system

It is represented by a set of organs that ensure the absorption of nutrients by the body, which are a source of energy for it, necessary for cell renewal and growth.

The digestive system consists of: the oral cavity, pharynx, small intestine, large intestine, and rectum.

Digestion in the human mouth

The process of digestion in the mouth is the grinding of food. In this process, there is an energetic processing of food by saliva, the interaction between microorganisms and enzymes. After treatment with saliva, some of the substances dissolve and their taste appears. The physiological process of digestion in the oral cavity is the breakdown of starch to sugars by the enzyme amylase contained in saliva.

Let's trace the action of amylase on an example: while chewing bread for a minute, you can feel the sweet taste. The breakdown of proteins and fats in the mouth does not occur. On average, the process of digestion in the human body takes about 15-20 seconds.

Department of digestion - stomach

The stomach is the widest part of the digestive tract, having the ability to expand in size and accommodate a huge amount of food. As a result of the rhythmic contraction of the muscles of its walls, the process of digestion in the human body begins with a thorough mixing of food with acidic gastric juice.

A lump of food that has entered the stomach remains in it for 3-5 hours, undergoing mechanical and chemical processing during this time. Digestion in the stomach begins with the exposure of food to the action of gastric juice and hydrochloric acid, which is present in it, as well as pepsin.

As a result of digestion in the human stomach, proteins are digested with the help of enzymes to low molecular weight peptides and amino acids. The digestion of carbohydrates that began in the mouth in the stomach stops, which is explained by the loss of amylases of their activity in an acidic environment.

Digestion in the stomach cavity

The process of digestion in the human body occurs under the action of gastric juice, which contains lipase, which is able to break down fats. In this case, great importance is given to hydrochloric acid of gastric juice. Under the influence of hydrochloric acid, the activity of enzymes increases, denaturation and swelling of proteins is caused, and a bactericidal effect is exerted.

The physiology of digestion in the stomach is that food enriched with carbohydrates, which is in the stomach for about two hours, the evacuation process is faster than food containing proteins or fats, which lingers in the stomach for 8-10 hours.

In the small intestine, food that is mixed with gastric juice and partially digested, being in a liquid or semi-liquid consistency, passes through simultaneous intervals in small portions. In what department does the process of digestion still take place in the human body?

Digestion - small intestine

Digestion in the small intestine, into which a food bolus enters from the stomach, is given the most important place, from the point of view of the biochemistry of the absorption of substances.

In this section, intestinal juice consists of an alkaline environment due to the arrival of bile, pancreatic juice and secretions of the intestinal walls in the small intestine. The digestive process in the small intestine is not fast for everyone. This is facilitated by the presence of an insufficient amount of the lactase enzyme, which hydrolyzes milk sugar, associated with the indigestibility of whole milk. In the process of digestion in this department of a person, more than 20 enzymes are consumed, for example, peptidases, nucleases, amylase, lactase, sucrose, etc.

The activity of this process in the small intestine depends on the three departments that pass into each other, of which it consists - the duodenum, jejunum and ileum. The bile formed in the liver enters the duodenum. Here food is digested thanks to pancreatic juice and bile, which act on it. The colorless liquid contains enzymes that promote the breakdown of proteins and polypeptides: trypsin, chymotrypsin, elastase, carboxypeptidase and aminopeptidase.

The role of the liver

An important role in the process of digestion in the human body (we will briefly mention this) is assigned to the liver, in which bile is formed. The peculiarity of the digestive process in the small intestine is due to the assistance of bile in the emulsification of fats, the absorption of triglycerides, the activation of lipase, it also stimulates peristalsis, inactivates pepsin in the duodenum, has a bactericidal and bacteriostatic effect, increases the hydrolysis and absorption of proteins and carbohydrates.

Bile does not consist of digestive enzymes, but is important in the dissolution and absorption of fats and fat-soluble vitamins. If bile is not produced enough or is secreted into the intestine, then there is a violation of the processes of digestion and absorption of fats, as well as an increase in their excretion in its original form with feces.

What happens in the absence of the gallbladder?

A person is left without the so-called small sac, in which bile was previously deposited “in reserve”.

Bile is needed in the duodenum only if there is food in it. And this is not a permanent process, only in the period after eating. After some time, the duodenum empties. Accordingly, the need for bile disappears.

However, the work of the liver does not stop there, it continues to produce bile. It was for this that nature created the gallbladder, so that the bile secreted between meals would not deteriorate and be stored until the need for it appeared.

And here the question arises about the absence of this "storage of bile". As it turns out, a person can do without a gallbladder. If the operation is done in time and other diseases associated with the digestive organs are not provoked, then the absence of the gallbladder in the body is easily tolerated. The time of the digestion process in the human body is of interest to many.

After surgery, bile can only be stored in the bile ducts. After the production of bile by the liver cells, it is released into the ducts, from where it is easily and continuously sent to the duodenum. And this does not depend on whether the food is taken or not. It follows that after the removal of the gallbladder, food at first must be taken often and in small portions. This is due to the fact that there is not enough bile to process large portions of bile. After all, there is no longer a place for its accumulation, but it enters the intestine continuously, albeit in small quantities.

It often takes time for the body to learn how to function without a gallbladder, to find the right place to store bile. Here's how the process of digestion works in the human body without a gallbladder.

Digestion department - large intestine

The remains of undigested food move into the large intestine and stay in it for about 10 to 15 hours. Here, the following processes of digestion in the intestine take place: absorption of water and microbial metabolization of nutrients.

In digestion, a huge role is played by food, which includes indigestible biochemical components: fiber, hemicellulose, lignin, gums, resins, waxes.

The structure of food affects the rate of absorption in the small intestine and the time of movement through the gastrointestinal tract.

Part of the dietary fiber that is not broken down by enzymes belonging to the gastrointestinal tract is destroyed by the microflora.

The large intestine is the site of the formation of fecal masses, which include: undigested food debris, mucus, dead cells of the mucous membrane and microbes that continuously multiply in the intestine, and which cause fermentation and gas formation processes. How long does the process of digestion in the human body take? This is a common question.

Breakdown and absorption of substances

The process of absorption is carried out throughout the entire digestive tract, covered with hairs. On 1 square millimeter of the mucosa there are about 30-40 villi.

In order for the process of absorption of substances that dissolve fats, or rather fat-soluble vitamins, to occur, fats and bile must be present in the intestine.

Absorption of water-soluble products such as amino acids, monosaccharides, mineral ions occurs with the participation of blood capillaries.

In a healthy person, the entire process of digestion takes from 24 to 36 hours.

That's how long the process of digestion in the human body lasts.

The human digestive system is a complex organ system responsible for the breakdown and absorption of nutrients that come with food. The complex of the digestive organs includes: oral cavity, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, rectum. In addition, the digestive system also includes the liver, gallbladder and bile ducts, pancreas. Topographically, the digestive organs include the head, cervical, thoracic, abdominal and pelvic parts of the digestive organs.

Under the digestive tact (alimentary tube) is understood a part of the digestive apparatus having a tubular structure: the esophagus, stomach, small and large intestines. Food enters the digestive system through the mouth, which is the initial organ of digestion. The digestive organs are 12 meters long and work in two phases. The mechanical phase occurs primarily in the oral cavity and consists of breaking up the ingested food into particles small enough to be swallowed. The chemical phase is the transformation of food into substances that are absorbed by the body, which is achieved by the action of various juices secreted by the digestive glands. The final organ of the digestive system is the anus.

The mouth is the inlet for food and the beginning of the digestive system. The oral cavity is lined with a mucous membrane. The ducts of the salivary glands open into it. Salivary Glands - These three pairs of glands secrete saliva, which wets and begins the chemical processing of food. At the bottom of the mouth is the tongue and teeth that chew food. With the help of the tongue, a person tastes and mixes food. The ability to taste allows you to distinguish between sweet, sour, salty and bitter; The sense of smell allows us to distinguish many odors. Taste is perceived by taste endings located on the surface of the tongue; smell - olfactory receptors, which are located in the upper part of the nasal mucosa.

The mouth goes into the throat. Swallowing starts voluntarily and continues automatically. During swallowing, the epiglottis closes the entrance to the larynx, and food does not enter the respiratory tract. The epiglottis is a cartilage located between the larynx and the pharynx. The esophagus, a muscular tube lined with mucous membrane, connects the pharynx with the stomach. Food moves through the esophagus due to muscle contractions and relaxation - the so-called peristalsis, and enters the stomach, passing through the annular muscular sphincter, which opens and closes. The sphincter prevents food from going back up the esophagus.

The stomach is an organ located in the abdominal cavity. He receives food already moistened with saliva and chewed, mixes it with gastric juice and pushes it through the pylorus into the duodenum. The cells lining the stomach produce three important substances: mucus, hydrochloric acid, and pepsinogen, a precursor to the enzyme pepsin. Mucus envelops the cells of the gastric mucosa. Hydrochloric acid forms an acidic environment in the stomach, which is necessary for the transformation of pepsinogen into pepsin, an enzyme that breaks down proteins. The high acidity of the stomach is a good barrier to infection, as it kills most bacteria.

From the stomach, food enters the initial part of the small intestine - the duodenum - through the pyloric sphincter in portions that the small intestine can digest. The duodenum receives pancreatic enzymes from the pancreas and bile from the liver. These secrets enter the duodenum through the opening, which is located in the center of the eminence - the large duodenal papilla. The mucous membrane of the duodenum over a greater extent has folds with small processes - villi. The villi have microvilli. This structure provides better absorption of nutrients. The rest of the small intestine is located below the duodenum and consists of the jejunum and ileum. This is where the absorption of fats and other nutrients takes place. In general, the small intestine is a part of the digestive tract 4 to 7 meters long, where pancreatic and gastric juices, bile, and where nutrients are absorbed. The consistency of the intestinal contents gradually changes as the food mass passes through the small intestine.

The liver is a vital organ for the body. It stores glycogen, which is an energy reserve, and secretes bile, which is necessary for the digestion of fats. Bile is secreted from the liver through the right and left hepatic ducts, which join to form the common hepatic duct. Between meals, bile produced by the liver is stored and concentrated in the gallbladder.

The gallbladder is an organ located in the lower part of the liver. As food enters the duodenum, it triggers hormonal and nerve signals that cause the gallbladder to contract. As a result, bile is secreted into the duodenum and mixed with its contents.

The large intestine is the last part of the digestive tract. It consists of the caecum, colon, and rectum, where water is absorbed from food and stool is formed from undigested foods. The large intestine is home to many bacteria that break down certain substances to help the body digest food and produce essential nutrients, such as vitamin K.

The rectum is the last link of the large intestine and digestive tract that connects the colon to the external environment. It begins just behind the sigmoid colon and includes the anus. Normally, the rectum is empty as feces accumulate higher up in the descending colon. Gradually, the descending colon fills up and feces pass into the rectum, causing the urge to defecate. The anus is the opening at the end of the digestive tract through which feces are expelled from the body.

In a healthy person, all digestive organs function very smoothly, thanks to the fine regulation of the nervous system and a number of hormonal substances that are formed in the digestive system itself.

One of the main conditions of vital activity is the intake of nutrients into the body, which are continuously consumed by cells in the process of metabolism. For the body, the source of these substances is food. Digestive system provides the breakdown of nutrients to simple organic compounds(monomers), which enter the internal environment of the body and are used by cells and tissues as a plastic and energy material. In addition, the digestive system provides the body with the necessary amount of water and electrolytes.

Digestive system, or the gastrointestinal tract, is a convoluted tube that begins with the mouth and ends with the anus. It also includes a number of organs that provide the secretion of digestive juices (salivary glands, liver, pancreas).

Digestion - This is a set of processes during which food is processed in the gastrointestinal tract and the proteins, fats, carbohydrates contained in it are split into monomers and the subsequent absorption of monomers into the internal environment of the body.

Rice. Human digestive system

The digestive system includes:

• the oral cavity with the organs in it and the adjacent large salivary glands;
• pharynx;
• esophagus;
• stomach;
• small and large intestine;
• pancreas.

The digestive system consists of a digestive tube, the length of which in an adult reaches 7-9 m, and a number of large glands located outside its walls. The distance from the mouth to the anus (in a straight line) is only 70-90 cm. The big difference in size is due to the fact that the digestive system forms many bends and loops.

The oral cavity, pharynx and esophagus, located in the region of the human head, neck and chest cavity, have a relatively straight direction. In the oral cavity, food enters the pharynx, where there is a junction of the digestive and respiratory tracts. Then comes the esophagus, through which food mixed with saliva enters the stomach.

In the abdominal cavity there is the final section of the esophagus, stomach, small, blind, colon, liver, pancreas, in the pelvic area - the rectum. In the stomach, the food mass is exposed to gastric juice for several hours, liquefies, actively mixes and digests. In the small intestine, food continues to be digested with the participation of many enzymes, resulting in the formation of simple compounds that are absorbed into the blood and lymph. Water is absorbed in the large intestine and feces are formed. Undigested and unsuitable for absorption substances are removed outside through the anus.

Salivary glands

The mucous membrane of the oral cavity has numerous small and large salivary glands. Major glands include: three pairs of major salivary glands - parotid, submandibular and sublingual. The submandibular and sublingual glands secrete simultaneously mucous and watery saliva, they are mixed glands. The parotid salivary glands secrete only mucous saliva. The maximum release, for example, to lemon juice can reach 7-7.5 ml / min. The saliva of humans and most animals contains the enzymes amylase and maltase, due to which the chemical change of food occurs already in the oral cavity.

The amylase enzyme converts food starch into a disaccharide, maltose, and the latter, under the action of a second enzyme, maltase, is converted into two glucose molecules. Although salivary enzymes are highly active, complete breakdown of starch in the oral cavity does not occur, since food is in the mouth for only 15-18 seconds. The reaction of saliva is usually slightly alkaline or neutral.

Esophagus

The wall of the esophagus is three-layered. The middle layer consists of developed striated and smooth muscles, with the reduction of which food is pushed into the stomach. The contraction of the muscles of the esophagus creates peristaltic waves, which, arising in the upper part of the esophagus, propagate along the entire length. In this case, the muscles of the upper third of the esophagus contract first, and then the smooth muscles in the lower sections. When food passes through the esophagus and stretches it, a reflex opening of the entrance to the stomach occurs.

The stomach is located in the left hypochondrium, in the epigastric region and is an extension of the digestive tube with well-developed muscular walls. Depending on the phase of digestion, its shape may change. The length of an empty stomach is about 18-20 cm, the distance between the walls of the stomach (between the greater and lesser curvatures) is 7-8 cm. A moderately full stomach has a length of 24-26 cm, the greatest distance between the greater and lesser curvatures is 10-12 cm. a person varies depending on the food and liquid taken from 1.5 to 4 liters. The stomach relaxes during the act of swallowing and remains relaxed throughout the meal. After eating, a state of increased tone sets in, which is necessary to start the process of mechanical processing of food: grinding and mixing of chyme. This process is carried out due to peristaltic waves, which occur approximately 3 times per minute in the region of the esophageal sphincter and propagate at a speed of 1 cm/s towards the exit to the duodenum. At the beginning of the digestion process, these waves are weak, but as digestion in the stomach is completed, they increase in both intensity and frequency. As a result, a small portion of chyme is adjusted to the exit from the stomach.

The inner surface of the stomach is covered with a mucous membrane that forms a large number of folds. It contains glands that secrete gastric juice. These glands are composed of chief, accessory, and parietal cells. The main cells produce enzymes of gastric juice, parietal - hydrochloric acid, additional - mucoid secret. Food is gradually saturated with gastric juice, mixed and crushed with contraction of the muscles of the stomach.

Gastric juice is a clear, colorless liquid that is acidic due to the presence of hydrochloric acid in the stomach. It contains enzymes (proteases) that break down proteins. The main protease is pepsin, which is secreted by cells in an inactive form - pepsinogen. Under the influence of hydrochloric acid, pepsinohep is converted into pepsin, which cleaves proteins to polypeptides of varying complexity. Other proteases have a specific effect on gelatin and milk protein.

Under the influence of lipase, fats are broken down into glycerol and fatty acids. Gastric lipase can only act on emulsified fats. Of all foodstuffs, only milk contains emulsified fat, so only it is digested in the stomach.

In the stomach, the breakdown of starch, which began in the oral cavity, continues under the influence of saliva enzymes. They act in the stomach until the food bolus is saturated with acidic gastric juice, since hydrochloric acid stops the action of these enzymes. In humans, a significant part of the starch is broken down by the ptyalin of saliva in the stomach.

Hydrochloric acid plays an important role in gastric digestion, which activates pepsinogen to pepsin; causes swelling of protein molecules, which contributes to their enzymatic cleavage, promotes curdling of milk to casein; has a bactericidal effect.

During the day, 2-2.5 liters of gastric juice is secreted. On an empty stomach, a small amount of it is secreted, containing mainly mucus. After eating, secretion gradually increases and remains at a relatively high level for 4-6 hours.

The composition and amount of gastric juice depends on the amount of food. The greatest amount of gastric juice is allocated to protein foods, less to carbohydrates, and even less to fatty foods. Normally, gastric juice is acidic (pH = 1.5-1.8), which is due to hydrochloric acid.

Small intestine

The human small intestine starts from the pylorus and is divided into duodenum, jejunum and ileum. The length of the small intestine of an adult reaches 5-6 m. The shortest and widest is the 12-colon (25.5-30 cm), the lean one is 2-2.5 m, the ileum is 2.5-3.5 m. Thickness The small intestine is constantly decreasing along its course. The small intestine forms loops, which are covered in front by a large omentum, and are limited from above and from the sides by the large intestine. In the small intestine, the chemical processing of food and the absorption of its breakdown products continue. There is a mechanical mixing and promotion of food in the direction of the large intestine.

The wall of the small intestine has a structure typical of the gastrointestinal tract: mucous membrane, submucosal layer, in which accumulations of lymphoid tissue, glands, nerves, blood and lymphatic vessels, muscular membrane, and serous membrane are located.

The muscular membrane consists of two layers - the inner circular and outer - longitudinal, separated by a layer of loose connective tissue, in which the nerve plexuses, blood and lymphatic vessels are located. Due to these muscle layers, mixing and promotion of intestinal contents towards the exit occurs.

The smooth, hydrated serosa makes it easier for the viscera to slide against each other.

The glands perform a secretory function. As a result of complex synthetic processes, they produce mucus that protects the mucous membrane from injury and the action of secreted enzymes, as well as various biologically active substances and, above all, enzymes necessary for digestion.

The mucous membrane of the small intestine forms numerous circular folds, thereby increasing the absorption surface of the mucous membrane. The size and number of folds decreases towards the large intestine. The surface of the mucous membrane is dotted with intestinal villi and crypts (depressions). Villi (4-5 million) 0.5-1.5 mm long carry out parietal digestion and absorption. Villi are outgrowths of the mucous membrane.

In ensuring the initial stage of digestion, a large role belongs to the processes occurring in the duodenum 12. On an empty stomach, its contents have a slightly alkaline reaction (pH = 7.2-8.0). When portions of the acidic contents of the stomach pass into the intestine, the reaction of the contents of the duodenum becomes acidic, but then, due to the alkaline secretions of the pancreas, small intestine and bile entering the intestine, it becomes neutral. In a neutral environment stop the action of gastric enzymes.

In humans, the pH of the contents of the duodenum ranges from 4-8.5. The higher its acidity, the more pancreatic juice, bile and intestinal secretions are released, the evacuation of the contents of the stomach into the duodenum and its contents into the jejunum slows down. As you move through the duodenum, the food content mixes with the secrets entering the intestine, the enzymes of which already in the duodenum 12 carry out the hydrolysis of nutrients.

Pancreatic juice enters the duodenum not constantly, but only during meals and for some time after that. The amount of juice, its enzymatic composition and the duration of the release depend on the quality of the incoming food. The largest amount of pancreatic juice is allocated to meat, the least to fat. 1.5-2.5 liters of juice is released per day at an average rate of 4.7 ml / min.

The gallbladder duct opens into the lumen of the duodenum. The secretion of bile occurs 5-10 minutes after a meal. Under the influence of bile, all enzymes of the intestinal juice are activated. Bile enhances the motor activity of the intestines, contributing to the mixing and movement of food. In the duodenum, 53-63% of carbohydrates and proteins are digested, fats are digested in smaller quantities. In the next section of the digestive tract - the small intestine - further digestion continues, but to a lesser extent than in the duodenum. Basically, there is a process of absorption. The final breakdown of nutrients occurs on the surface of the small intestine, i.e. on the same surface where absorption occurs. This breakdown of nutrients is called parietal or contact digestion, in contrast to cavity digestion, which occurs in the cavity of the digestive canal.

In the small intestine, the most intensive absorption occurs 1-2 hours after a meal. Assimilation of monosaccharides, alcohol, water and mineral salts occurs not only in the small intestine, but also in the stomach, although to a much lesser extent than in the small intestine.

Colon

The large intestine is the final part of the human digestive tract and consists of several sections. Its beginning is considered to be the caecum, on the border of which with the ascending section, the small intestine flows into the large intestine.

The large intestine is subdivided into the caecum, ascending colon, transverse colon, descending colon, sigmoid colon, and rectum. Its length ranges from 1.5-2 m, the width reaches 7 cm, then the large intestine gradually decreases to 4 cm at the descending colon.

The contents of the small intestine pass into the large intestine through a narrow slit-like opening located almost horizontally. At the place where the small intestine flows into the large intestine, there is a complex anatomical device - a valve equipped with a muscular circular sphincter and two "lips". This valve, which closes the hole, has the form of a funnel, with its narrow part turned into the lumen of the caecum. The valve periodically opens, passing the contents in small portions into the large intestine. With an increase in pressure in the cecum (when food is stirred and promoted), the “lips” of the valve close, and access from the small intestine to the large intestine stops. Thus, the valve prevents the contents of the large intestine from flowing back into the small intestine. The length and width of the caecum are approximately equal (7-8 cm). From the lower wall of the caecum departs the appendix (appendix). His lymphoid tissue is the structure of the immune system. The cecum directly passes into the ascending colon, then the transverse colon, the descending colon, the sigmoid colon, and the rectum, which ends in the anus. The length of the rectum is 14.5-18.7 cm. In front, the rectum with its wall is adjacent in men to the seminal vesicles, the vas deferens and the section of the bottom of the bladder lying between them, even lower - to the prostate gland, in women the rectum borders in front with the posterior wall of the vagina along its entire length.

The entire process of digestion in an adult lasts 1-3 days, of which the longest time is for the stay of food residues in the large intestine. Its motility provides a reservoir function - the accumulation of contents, the absorption of a number of substances from it, mainly water, its promotion, the formation of feces and their removal (defecation).

In a healthy person, 3-3.5 hours after ingestion, the food mass begins to enter the large intestine, which is filled within 24 hours and completely emptied in 48-72 hours.

Glucose, vitamins, amino acids produced by the bacteria of the intestinal cavity, up to 95% of water and electrolytes are absorbed in the large intestine.

The contents of the cecum make small and long movements in one direction or the other due to slow contractions of the intestine. The large intestine is characterized by contractions of several types: small and large pendulum, peristaltic and antiperistaltic, propulsive. The first four types of contractions provide mixing of the contents of the intestine and an increase in pressure in its cavity, which contributes to the thickening of the contents by absorbing water. Strong propulsive contractions occur 3-4 times a day and move the intestinal contents to the sigmoid colon. Wave-like contractions of the sigmoid colon will move the stool into the rectum, the distension of which causes nerve impulses that are transmitted along the nerves to the center of defecation in the spinal cord. From there, impulses are sent to the sphincter of the anus. The sphincter relaxes and contracts voluntarily. The center of defecation in children of the first years of life is not controlled by the cerebral cortex.

The large intestine is abundantly populated with microflora. The macroorganism and its microflora constitute a single dynamic system. The dynamism of the endoecological microbial biocenosis of the digestive tract is determined by the number of microorganisms that have entered it (about 1 billion microbes are orally ingested per day in a person), the intensity of their reproduction and death in the digestive tract and the excretion of microbes from it in the composition of feces (a person normally excretes 10 microbes per day). 12 -10 14 microorganisms).

Each of the sections of the digestive tract has a characteristic number and set of microorganisms. Their number in the oral cavity, despite the bactericidal properties of saliva, is large (I0 7 -10 8 per 1 ml of oral fluid). The contents of the stomach of a healthy person on an empty stomach due to the bactericidal properties of pancreatic juice are often sterile. In the contents of the large intestine, the number of bacteria is maximum, and 1 g of a healthy person's feces contains 10 billion or more microorganisms.

The composition and number of microorganisms in the digestive tract depends on endogenous and exogenous factors. The former include the influence of the mucous membrane of the digestive canal, its secrets, motility and the microorganisms themselves. The second - the nature of nutrition, environmental factors, taking antibacterial drugs. Exogenous factors influence directly and indirectly through endogenous factors. For example, the intake of a particular food changes the secretory and motor activity of the digestive tract, which forms its microflora.

Normal microflora - eubiosis - performs a number of important functions for the macroorganism. Its participation in the formation of the immunobiological reactivity of the body is extremely important. Eubiosis protects macroorganism from the introduction and reproduction of pathogenic microorganisms in it. Violation of the normal microflora in case of illness or as a result of prolonged administration of antibacterial drugs often leads to complications caused by the rapid reproduction of yeast, staphylococcus, Proteus and other microorganisms in the intestine.

The intestinal microflora synthesizes vitamins K and group B, which partially cover the body's need for them. The microflora also synthesizes other substances that are important for the body.

Bacterial enzymes break down cellulose, hemicellulose and pectins undigested in the small intestine, and the resulting products are absorbed from the intestine and included in the body's metabolism.

Thus, the normal intestinal microflora not only participates in the final link of the digestive processes and has a protective function, but from dietary fibers (plant material indigestible by the body - cellulose, pectin, etc.) produces a number of important vitamins, amino acids, enzymes, hormones and other nutrients.

Some authors distinguish heat-producing, energy-producing and stimulating functions of the large intestine. In particular, G.P. Malakhov notes that the microorganisms that live in the large intestine, during their development, release energy in the form of heat, which warms the venous blood and adjacent internal organs. And it is formed in the intestine during the day, according to various sources, from 10-20 billion to 17 trillion microbes.

Like all living things, microbes have a glow around them - a bioplasma that charges water and electrolytes that are absorbed in the large intestine. It is known that electrolytes are among the best batteries and energy carriers. These energy-rich electrolytes, together with the flow of blood and lymph, are carried throughout the body and give their high energy potential to all cells of the body.

Our body has special systems that are stimulated by a variety of environmental influences. Through mechanical stimulation of the sole of the foot, all vital organs are stimulated; through sound vibrations, special zones on the auricle associated with the whole body are stimulated, light stimuli through the iris of the eye also stimulate the entire body and diagnostics are carried out on the iris, and there are certain areas on the skin that are associated with internal organs, the so-called Zakharyin zones - Geza.

The large intestine has a special system through which it stimulates the entire body. Each section of the large intestine stimulates a separate organ. When the intestinal diverticulum is filled with food slurry, microorganisms begin to multiply rapidly in it, releasing energy in the form of bioplasma, which stimulates this area, and through it, the organ associated with this area. If this area is clogged with fecal stones, then there is no stimulation, and the function of this organ slowly begins to fade, then a specific pathology develops. Especially often, fecal deposits are formed in the places of the folds of the large intestine, where the movement of fecal masses slows down (the place where the small intestine passes into the large intestine, ascending bend, descending bend, bend of the sigmoid colon). The place where the small intestine passes into the large intestine stimulates the nasopharyngeal mucosa; ascending bend - thyroid gland, liver, kidneys, gallbladder; descending - bronchi, spleen, pancreas, bends of the sigmoid colon - ovaries, bladder, genitals.

It's probably good to have some idea about the structure of our digestive system and what happens to the food "inside"

It's probably good to have some idea about the structure of our digestive system and what happens to the food "inside".

A person who knows how to cook deliciously, but does not know what fate awaits his dishes after they are eaten, is likened to a car enthusiast who has learned the rules of the road and has learned to “turn the steering wheel”, but knows nothing about the structure of the car.

Going on a long journey with such knowledge is risky, even if the car is quite reliable. There are some surprises along the way.

Consider the most general device of the "digestive machine".

The process of digestion in the human body

So let's take a look at the diagram.

We took a bite of something edible.

TEETH

We bit off with our teeth (1) and we continue to chew with them. Even purely physical grinding plays a huge role - food must enter the stomach in the form of gruel, it is digested in pieces tens and even hundreds of times worse. However, those who doubt the role of teeth can try to eat something without biting off or grinding food with them.

tongue and saliva

When chewing, there is also impregnation with saliva secreted by three pairs of large salivary glands (3) and many small ones. Normally, from 0.5 to 2 liters of saliva is produced per day. Its enzymes basically break down starch!

With proper chewing, a homogeneous liquid mass is formed, requiring minimal costs for further digestion.

In addition to the chemical effect on food, saliva has a bactericidal property. Even in between meals, it always wets the oral cavity, protects the mucous membrane from drying out and contributes to its disinfection.

It is no coincidence that with minor scratches, cuts, the first natural movement is to lick the wound. Of course, saliva as a disinfectant is inferior in reliability to peroxide or iodine, but it is always at hand (that is, in the mouth).

Finally, our tongue (2) unmistakably determines whether it is tasty or tasteless, sweet or bitter, salty or sour.

These signals serve as an indication of how much and which juices are needed for digestion.

ESOPHAGUS

The chewed food passes through the pharynx into the esophagus (4). Swallowing is a rather complex process, many muscles are involved, and to a certain extent it occurs reflexively.

The esophagus is a four-layer tube 22-30 cm long. In a calm state, the esophagus has a gap in the form of a gap, but what is eaten and drunk does not fall down at all, but moves forward due to wave-like contractions of its walls. All this time, salivary digestion continues actively.

STOMACH

The rest of the digestive organs are located in the abdomen. They are separated from the chest by the diaphragm (5) - the main respiratory muscle. Through a special hole in the diaphragm, the esophagus enters the abdominal cavity and passes into the stomach (6).

This hollow organ resembles a retort in shape. There are several folds on its inner mucous surface. The volume of a completely empty stomach is about 50 ml. When eating, it stretches and can hold quite a lot - up to 3-4 liters.

So, swallowed food in the stomach. Further transformations are determined primarily by its composition and quantity. Glucose, alcohol, salts and excess water can be absorbed immediately - depending on the concentration and combination with other products. The bulk of the food eaten is exposed to the action of gastric juice. This juice contains hydrochloric acid, a number of enzymes and mucus. It is secreted by special glands in the gastric mucosa, which number about 35 million.

Moreover, the composition of the juice changes every time: juice for every meal. Interestingly, the stomach, as it were, knows in advance what kind of work it has to do, and sometimes secretes the necessary juice long before eating - at the sight or smell of food. This was proved by Academician I.P. Pavlov in his famous experiments with dogs. And in a person, juice is secreted even with a distinct thought about food.

Fruits, curdled milk and other light foods require very little juice of low acidity and with a small amount of enzymes. Meat, especially with spicy seasonings, causes an abundant release of very strong juice. Relatively weak, but extremely rich in enzymes, juice is produced for bread.

In total, an average of 2-2.5 liters of gastric juice is secreted per day. The empty stomach periodically contracts. This is familiar to everyone from the sensations of "hunger cramps." Eaten for some time suspends motor skills. This is an important fact. After all, each portion of food envelops the inner surface of the stomach and is located in the form of a cone nested in the previous one. Gastric juice acts mainly on the surface layers in contact with the mucous membrane. Saliva enzymes work inside for a long time.

Enzymes- These are substances of a protein nature that ensure the occurrence of any reaction. The main enzyme of gastric juice is pepsin, which is responsible for the breakdown of proteins.

DUODENUM

As the portions of food are digested, located near the walls of the stomach, they move towards the exit from it - to the pylorus.

Thanks to the motor function of the stomach, which has resumed by this time, that is, its periodic contractions, the food is thoroughly mixed.

As a result almost homogeneous semi-digested slurry enters the duodenum (11). The pylorus "guards" the entrance to the duodenum. This is a muscular valve that passes food masses in only one direction.

The duodenum refers to the small intestine. In fact, the entire digestive tract, starting from the pharynx and up to the anus, is one tube with a variety of thickenings (even as large as the stomach), many bends, loops, and several sphincters (valves). But the individual parts of this tube are distinguished both anatomically and according to the functions performed in digestion. Thus, the small intestine is considered to consist of the duodenum (11), jejunum (12) and ileum (13).

The duodenum is the thickest, but its length is only 25-30 cm. Its inner surface is covered with many villi, and in the submucosal layer there are small glands. Their secret contributes to the further breakdown of proteins and carbohydrates.

The common bile duct and the main pancreatic duct open into the duodenal cavity.

LIVER

The bile duct supplies bile produced by the largest gland in the body, the liver (7). The liver produces up to 1 liter of bile per day- quite an impressive amount. Bile consists of water, fatty acids, cholesterol and inorganic substances.

Bile secretion begins within 5-10 minutes after the start of a meal and ends when the last portion of food leaves the stomach.

Bile completely stops the action of gastric juice, due to which gastric digestion is replaced by intestinal.

She also emulsifies fats- forms an emulsion with them, repeatedly increasing the contact surface of fatty particles with enzymes acting on them.

GALL BLADDER

Its task is to improve the absorption of the breakdown products of fats and other nutrients - amino acids, vitamins, to promote the promotion of food masses and prevent their decay. Bile stores are stored in the gallbladder (8).

Its lower part adjacent to the pylorus is most actively reduced. Its capacity is about 40 ml, but the bile in it is in a concentrated form, thickening 3-5 times compared to hepatic bile.

When needed, it enters through the cystic duct, which connects to the hepatic duct. The formed common bile duct (9) delivers bile to the duodenum.

PANCREAS

The pancreatic duct also exits here (10). It is the second largest gland in humans. Its length reaches 15-22 cm, weight - 60-100 grams.

Strictly speaking, the pancreas consists of two glands - the exocrine gland, which produces up to 500-700 ml of pancreatic juice per day, and the endocrine gland, which produces hormones.

The difference between these two types of glands is that the secret of exocrine glands (exocrine glands) is released into the external environment, in this case into the duodenal cavity, and the substances produced by the endocrine (that is, internal secretion) glands, called hormones, enter the blood or lymph.

Pancreatic juice contains a whole complex of enzymes that break down all food compounds - proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. This juice is secreted with every "hungry" stomach cramp, but its continuous flow begins a few minutes after the start of the meal. The composition of the juice varies depending on the nature of the food.

Pancreatic hormones- insulin, glucagon, etc. regulate carbohydrate and fat metabolism. Insulin, for example, stops the breakdown of glycogen (animal starch) in the liver and switches the body's cells to feed primarily on glucose. This lowers the blood sugar level.

But back to the transformations of food. In the duodenum, it mixes with bile and pancreatic juice.

Bile stops the action of gastric enzymes and ensures proper functioning of the pancreatic juice. Proteins, fats and carbohydrates are further broken down. Excess water, mineral salts, vitamins and fully digested substances are absorbed through the intestinal walls.

INTESTINES

Curving sharply, the duodenum passes into the jejunum (12), 2-2.5 m long. The latter, in turn, connects to the ileum (13), the length of which is 2.5-3.5 m. The total length of the small intestine is thus 5-6 m. Its suction capacity increases many times due to the presence of transverse folds, the number of which reaches 600-650. In addition, numerous villi line the inner surface of the intestine. Their coordinated movements ensure the movement of food masses, through which nutrients are absorbed.

It used to be thought that intestinal absorption was a purely mechanical process. That is, it was assumed that nutrients are broken down to elementary "bricks" in the intestinal cavity, and then these "bricks" penetrate into the blood through the intestinal wall.

But it turned out that in the gut, food compounds are not “disassembled” to the end, but final cleavage occurs only near the intestinal cell walls. This process was called membrane, or parietal.

What is it? Nutrient components, already fairly crushed in the intestine under the action of pancreatic juice and bile, penetrate between the villi of intestinal cells. Moreover, the villi form such a dense border that for large molecules, and even more so for bacteria, the surface of the intestine is inaccessible.

Intestinal cells secrete numerous enzymes into this sterile zone, and fragments of nutrients are divided into elementary components - amino acids, fatty acids, monosaccharides, which are absorbed. Both splitting and absorption occur in a very limited space and are often combined into one complex interrelated process.

One way or another, over five meters of the small intestine, food is completely digested and the resulting substances enter the bloodstream.

But they do not enter the general circulation. If this happened, the person could die after the first meal.

All blood from the stomach and from the intestines (thin and large) is collected in the portal vein and sent to the liver. After all, food provides not only useful compounds, when it is split, many by-products are formed.

Toxins must also be added here. secreted by intestinal microflora, and many medicinal substances and poisons present in products (especially in modern ecology). And purely nutritional components should not immediately enter the general bloodstream, otherwise their concentration would exceed all permissible limits.

The position saves the liver. It is not for nothing that it is called the main chemical laboratory of the body. Here, the disinfection of harmful compounds and the regulation of protein, fat and carbohydrate metabolism take place. All of these substances can be synthesized and broken down in the liver.- on demand, ensuring the constancy of our internal environment.

The intensity of its work can be judged by the fact that with its own weight of 1.5 kg, the liver consumes about a seventh of the total energy produced by the body. In a minute, about one and a half liters of blood passes through the liver, and up to 20% of the total amount of blood in a person can be in its vessels. But let us trace the path of food to the end.

From the ileum through a special valve that prevents backflow, undigested residues enter the large intestine. Its upholstered length is from 1.5 to 2 meters. Anatomically, it is divided into the cecum (15) with appendix (16), ascending colon (14), transverse colon (17), descending colon (18), sigmoid colon (19) and rectum (20).

In the large intestine, water absorption is completed and feces are formed. To do this, intestinal cells secrete special mucus. The colon is home to a myriad of microorganisms. The excreted feces are about a third made up of bacteria. You can't say it's bad.

After all, a kind of symbiosis of the owner and his "tenants" is normally established.

The microflora feeds on waste, and supplies vitamins, some enzymes, amino acids and other necessary substances. In addition, the constant presence of microbes keeps the immune system working, not allowing it to “doze off”. And the "permanent inhabitants" themselves do not allow the introduction of strangers, often pathogenic.

But such a picture in iridescent colors happens only with proper nutrition. Unnatural, refined foods, excess food and wrong combinations change the composition of the microflora. Putrefactive bacteria begin to predominate, and instead of vitamins, a person receives poisons. Strongly hit on the microflora and all kinds of drugs, especially antibiotics.

But one way or another, the fecal masses move forward thanks to the wave-like movements of the colon - peristalsis and reach the rectum. At its exit for safety, there are as many as two sphincters - internal and external, which close the anus, opening only during defecation.

With a mixed diet, about 4 kg of food mass passes from the small intestine to the large intestine per day, while only 150-250 g of stool is produced.

But in vegetarians, feces are formed much more, because their food contains a lot of ballast substances. On the other hand, the intestines also work perfectly, the microflora is the most friendly, and poisonous products do not even reach the liver for a significant part, being absorbed by fiber, pectins and other fibers.

This concludes our tour of the digestive system. But it should be noted that its role is by no means limited to digestion. Everything in our body is interconnected and interdependent both on the physical and energy planes.

More recently, for example, it has been established that the intestine is also the most powerful apparatus for the production of hormones. Moreover, in terms of the volume of synthesized substances, it is comparable (!) With all other endocrine glands taken together. published

One of the most important components of the human body is its digestive system of organs. This set is thought out and organized by nature in such a way that its owner can extract from the food consumed everything that is necessary for the implementation of normal life. And at the same time, such "magic" mechanisms work in the digestive system that protect us from infections, neutralize poisons and even allow us to synthesize important vitamins on our own. Considering the importance of this complex of organs, it is necessary to protect it.

Consider what constitutes a function, too, we will not disregard. You will also learn about what must be done in order not to have gastrointestinal diseases.

What organs are in the digestive system?

The digestive system consists of the following organs and departments:

• oral cavity with salivary glands included in it;
• pharynx;
• area of ​​the esophagus;
• stomach;
• small and large intestine;
• liver;
• pancreas.

If you look at the structure of this organ system, it can be noted that the digestive tract is a tube 7-9 m long. Some large glands are located outside the walls of the system and communicate with it.

The peculiarity of this set of organs is that they are stacked very compactly. The length of the tract from the mouth to the anus is up to 900 cm, however, the ability of the muscles of the digestive tract to form loops and bends helped to fit them in the human body. However, our task is not only to list the organs of the digestive system. We will carefully study all the processes occurring in each of the departments of the gastrointestinal tract.

General scheme of the digestive tract

The pharynx and esophagus are virtually straight.

Now let's briefly consider the sequence of passage of food through the organs of the digestive system. Nutrient components enter the human body through the mouth opening.

Further, the mass follows into the pharynx, in which the digestive tract and respiratory organs intersect. After this section, the food bolus is sent down the esophagus. The chewed and saliva-moistened food enters the stomach. In the abdominal region there are organs of the final segment of the esophagus: the stomach, thin, blind, colon sections of the intestine, as well as glands: the liver and pancreas.

The rectum is located in the pelvis. Food in the cavity of the stomach is different time depending on the type of food, but this period does not exceed a few hours. At this time, the so-called food is released into the cavity of the organ, it becomes liquid, it is mixed and digested. Moving further, the mass enters. Here, the activity of enzymes ensures the further dissolution of nutrient substances to simple compounds that are easily absorbed into the bloodstream and into the lymph.

Further, the residual masses move into the section of the large intestine, where water is absorbed and feces are formed. In fact, these are substances that are not digested and cannot be absorbed into the blood and lymph. They are removed to the external environment through the anus.

Why does a person salivate?

On the mucous membrane of the mouth, from which the sequence of passage of food through the organs of the digestive system begins, there are large and small ones. Large ones are called those that are located near the auricles, under the jaws and under the tongue. The last two types of salivary glands produce a mixed secret: they secrete both saliva and water. The glands near the ears are capable of producing only mucus. Salivation can be quite intense. For example, when drinking lemon juice, up to 7.5 ml per minute can stand out.

Saliva is mostly water, but contains the enzymes maltase and amylase. These enzymes start the process of digestion already in the oral cavity: starch is converted by amylase into maltose, which is further broken down by maltase to glucose. Food is in the mouth for a short time - no more than 20 seconds, and during this time the starch simply does not have time to dissolve completely. Saliva is usually either neutral or slightly alkaline. Also in this liquid medium contains a special protein lysozyme, which has a bactericidal property.

We follow the esophagus

The anatomy of the digestive system organs calls the esophagus the organ of the gastrointestinal tract following the mouth and pharynx. If we consider its wall in section, we can clearly distinguish three layers. The median is muscular and is able to contract. This quality allows food to move from the pharynx to the stomach. The musculature of the esophagus produces undulating contractions that spread from the top of the organ throughout its duration. When the food bolus passes along this tube, the inlet sphincter opens into the stomach.

This muscle holds food in the stomach and prevents it from moving in the opposite direction. In some cases, the locking sphincter weakens, and digested masses can be thrown into the esophagus. Reflux occurs, a person feels heartburn.

The stomach and secrets of digestion

We continue to study the order of the organs of the digestive system. The esophagus is followed by the stomach. Its localization is the left hypochondrium in the epigastric region. This organ is nothing more than an extension of the digestive tract with pronounced wall musculature.

The shape and size of the stomach directly depend on its contents. An empty organ has a length of up to 20 cm, the distance between the walls is 7-8 cm. If the stomach is moderately filled, then its length will become about 25 cm, and its width will be up to 12 cm. The capacity of the organ can also vary depending on the degree of its fullness and varies from 1.5 liters to 4 liters. When a person swallows, the muscles of the stomach relax, and this effect lasts until the end of the meal. But even when the meal is over, the muscles of the stomach are in a state of activity. Food is ground, it is mechanically and chemically processed through muscle movement. Digested food moves to the small intestine.

From the inside, the stomach is lined with many folds in which the glands are located. Their task is to secrete as many digestive juices as possible. Cells of the stomach produce enzymes, hydrochloric acid and mucoid secretion. The food lump is impregnated with all these substances, crushed and mixed. Muscles contract to aid in digestion.

What is gastric juice?

Gastric juice is a colorless liquid with an acid reaction due to the presence of hydrochloric acid. It has three main groups of enzymes:

• proteases (mainly pepsin) break down proteins into polypeptide molecules;
• lipases that act on fat molecules, converting them into fatty acids and glycerin (only emulsified cow's milk fat is broken down in the stomach);
• salivary amylases continue to work on the breakdown of complex carbohydrates into simple sugars (as the food bolus is completely saturated with acidic gastric juice, amylolytic enzymes are inactivated).

Hydrochloric acid is a very important element of the digestive secretion, as it activates the enzyme pepsin, prepares protein molecules for breakdown, curdles milk and neutralizes all microorganisms. The secretion of gastric juice occurs mainly when eating and continues for 4-6 hours. In total, up to 2.5 liters of this liquid is released per day.

An interesting fact is that the amount and composition of gastric juice depends on the quality of the incoming food. The largest amount of secretion is released for the digestion of protein substances, the smallest - when a person absorbs fatty foods. In a healthy body, gastric juice contains a fairly large amount of hydrochloric acid, its pH ranges from 1.5-1.8.

Small intestine

When studying the question of which organs are included in the digestive system, a further object of study is the small intestine. This section of the digestive system originates from the gastric pylorus and has a total length of up to 6 meters. It is divided into several sections:

• The duodenum is the shortest and widest section, its length is about 30 cm;
• the lean intestine is characterized by a decrease in lumen and a length of up to 2.5 m;
• the ileum is the narrowest part of the thin section, its length is up to 3.5 m.

The small intestine is located in the abdominal cavity in the form of loops. From the front, it is covered with an omentum, and on the sides it is limited to a thick digestive tract. The function of the small intestine is the continuation of the chemical transformations of food components, its mixing and further direction to the large section.

The wall of this organ has a typical structure for all components of the gastrointestinal tract and consists of the following elements:

• mucosal layer;
• submucosal tissue with clusters of nerves, glands, lymphatics and blood vessels;
• muscle tissue, which consists of an outer longitudinal and inner circular layers, and between them there is a layer of connective tissue with nerves and blood vessels (the muscle layer is responsible for mixing and moving digested food along the system);
• the serous membrane is smooth and moist, it prevents the organs from rubbing against each other.

Features of digestion in the small intestine

The glands that make up the structure of the intestinal tissue secrete a secret. It protects the mucosa from injury and from the activity of digestive enzymes. Mucous tissue forms many circular folds, and this increases the suction area. The number of these formations decreases towards the large intestine. From the inside, the mucosa of the small intestine is replete with villi and depressions that help digestion.

In the 12 duodenal region, a slightly alkaline medium, however, with the ingress of stomach contents into it, the pH decreases. The pancreas has a duct into this zone, and its secret alkalizes the food bolus, the environment of which becomes neutral. Thus, the enzymes of the gastric juice are inactivated here.

A few words about the digestive glands

It has ducts of endocrine glands. The pancreas secretes its juice as a person eats, and its amount depends on the composition of the food. A protein diet provokes the greatest secretion, and fats cause the opposite effect. In just a day, the pancreas produces up to 2.5 liters of juice.

The gallbladder also secretes its secret into the small intestine. Already 5 minutes after the start of the meal, bile begins to be actively produced, which activates all the enzymes of the intestinal juice. This secret also enhances the motor functions of the gastrointestinal tract, intensifies the mixing and movement of food. In the 12-duodenal section, about half of the proteins and sugars that come with food, as well as a small part of the fats, are digested. In the small intestine, the enzymatic decomposition of organic compounds continues, but less intensively, and parietal absorption predominates. This process occurs most intensively after 1-2 hours from the moment of eating. It exceeds the efficiency of a similar stage in the stomach.

The large intestine is the end station of digestion.

This section of the gastrointestinal tract is final, its length is about 2 m. The names of the organs of the digestive system take into account their anatomical features, and it is logically clear that this section has the largest clearance. The width of the large intestine decreases from 7 to 4 cm at the descending colon. In this section of the digestive tract, the following zones are distinguished:

• the caecum, which has a appendix, or appendix;
• ascending colon;
• transverse colon;
• descending colon area;
• sigmoid colon;
• straight section ending in the anus.

Digested food passes from the small intestine into the large intestine through a small opening in the form of a slot located horizontally. There is a kind of valve with a sphincter in the form of lips, which prevents the contents of the blind section from entering in the opposite direction.

What processes take place in the large intestine?

If the whole process of digestion of food lasts from one to three hours, then most of it is given to the stay of the lump in the large intestine. It contains the accumulation of contents, the absorption of necessary substances and water, movement along the tract, the formation and removal of feces. The physiological norm is the intake of digested food in the large intestine 3-3.5 hours after the meal. This section is filled during the day, followed by its complete emptying in 48-72 hours.

In the large intestine, glucose, amino acids, vitamins and other substances produced by bacteria living in this section are absorbed, as well as the vast majority (95%) of water and various electrolytes.

Inhabitants of the gastrointestinal tract

Almost all organs and parts of the digestive system are inhabited by microorganisms. Only the stomach is relatively sterile (on an empty stomach) due to its acidic environment. The largest number of bacteria is in the large intestine - up to 10 billion / 1 g of feces. The normal microflora of the large gastrointestinal tract is called eubiosis and plays a huge role in human life:

• prevents the development of pathogenic microorganisms;
• synthesis of B and K vitamins, enzymes, hormones and other substances useful for humans;
• breakdown of cellulose, hemicellulose and pectins.

The quality and quantity of microflora in each person is unique and is regulated by both external and internal factors.

Take care of your health!

Like any part of the human body, the digestive system of organs can be prone to various diseases. Often they are associated with the ingress of pathogenic microorganisms from outside. However, if a person is healthy and his stomach works without failures, then everyone is doomed to death in an acidic environment. If for a number of reasons this organ functions abnormally, then almost any infection can develop and lead to serious consequences, such as cancer of the digestive system. It all starts small: poor nutrition, lack of alcohol and fatty foods in the diet, smoking, stress, unbalanced diets, poor ecology and other adverse factors gradually destroy our body and provoke the development of diseases.

The digestive system of organs is especially susceptible to destructive influence from the outside. Therefore, do not forget to undergo a medical examination in a timely manner and consult a doctor in case of failures in the normal functioning of the body.