ruoansulatuselimissä

Ruoansulatuselimissä collectively refers to the organs involved in the process of digestion within the body. This complex system breaks down food into smaller molecules that can be absorbed and utilized by the body for energy, growth, and repair. The primary organs include the mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, and large intestine. Accessory organs such as the liver, gallbladder, and pancreas also play crucial roles by producing and secreting digestive enzymes and other substances.

Digestion begins in the mouth where food is mechanically broken down by chewing and chemically by enzymes in saliva. The esophagus then transports the food to the stomach, a muscular organ that further mixes food with digestive juices, including acid and enzymes, to break down proteins. From the stomach, partially digested food, now called chyme, moves into the small intestine. Here, the majority of nutrient absorption occurs with the help of enzymes from the pancreas and bile from the liver. Undigested material then passes into the large intestine, where water is absorbed and waste products are formed into feces before elimination. The entire process is a carefully coordinated sequence of mechanical and chemical actions, regulated by hormones and nerves.