The Digestive System. Anatomy of the Digestive System

The Digestive System

Voсabulary:

Abdomen – брюшная полость

Alimentary tract – пищеварительный тракт

Anus – анальное отверстие

Caecum – слепая кишка

Colon – ободочная кишка

Digestive system – пищеварительная система

Duodenum – двенадцатиперстная кишка

Esophagus – пищевод

Ileum – подвздошная кишка

Jejunum – тощая кишка

Gallbladder – желчный пузырь

Gland – железа

Large intestine – толстый кишечник

Length – длина

Liver – печень

Musculomembraneous – мышечно-мембранный

Oral cavity – ротовая полость

Pancreas – поджелудочная железа

Palate – нёбо

Rectum – прямая кишка

Salivary glands – слюнные железы

Small intestine – тонкий кишечник

Stomach – желудок

Tube – трубка

Anatomy of the Digestive System

The digestive system is a musculomembraneous canal about 8½ metres in length. It extends from the oral cavity to the anus. It consists of the mouth, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, and large intestine. The liver with gallbladder and pancreas are the large glands of the alimentary tract.

The first division of the alimentary tract is formed by the mouth. Important structures of the mouth are the teeth and the tongue, which is the organ of taste. The soft and hard palates and the salivary glands are also in the oral cavity.

From the mouth food passes through the pharynx to the esophagus and then to the stomach.

The stomach is a muscular, hollow organ. It is in the upper part of the abdomen under the diaphragm. It measures about 21-25 cm in length, 8-9 cm in its largest diameter. It has a capacity of from 2.14 to 4.28 litres.

The small intestine is a thin-walled muscular tube about 6.5 metres long. It is located in the middle portion of the abdominal cavity. The small intestine is composed of the duodenum, jejunum and ileum.

The large intestine is the last part of the alimentary tract. Its function is to absorb water from the remaining indigestible food matter, and then to pass useless waste material from the body. It is about 1.5 metres long. It is divided into caecum, colon and rectum.

The liver is the largest gland in the human body. It is in the right upper part of the abdominal cavity under the diaphragm. The weight of the liver is 1,500 g. This organ plays a major role in metabolism and has a number of functions in the body.

The gallbladder is a hollow sac lying on the lower surface of the liver, where bile is stored, before it is released into the small intestine.

The pancreas is a long thin gland lying behind the stomach.The cardiovascular system is the system of blood circulation. It includes the heart, the arteries, the veins and the capillaries.

Answer the questions to the text:

1. What is the digestive system?

2. What does the alimentary tract consist of?

3. What is the 1st division of the alimentary tract formed by?

4. What is the stomach?

5. What is the small intestine?

6. What is the function of the large intestine?

7. What largest glands in the human body do you know?

8. What is the function of the gallbladder?