Hepatic Functions

The digestion of the stomach wall is disallowed by its mucus lining. The food in the stomach takes about three to four hours in the stomach before the semi liquid chyme is passed through the pyloric sphincter bit by bit into the small intestines.

The common bile duct originates in the liver and the gallbladder and produces another important digestive juice called bile. The pancreatic juices and bile that are released into the duodenum, help the body to digest fats, carbohydrates, and proteins. Endocrine Function: The endocrine component of the pancreas consists of islet cells that create and release important hormones directly into the bloodstream. Two of the main pancreatic hormones are insulin, which acts to lower blood sugar, and glucagon, which acts to raise blood sugar. Maintaining proper blood sugar levels is crucial to the functioning of key organs including the brain, liver, and kidneys.

The bile emulsifies fats and neutralizes acids in partly digested food. A muscular valve in the common bile duct opens, and the bile flows from the gallbladder into the cystic duct, along the common bile duct, and into the duodenum.

The bile moves down the common bile duct, through the pancreatic duct and then into the duodenum and through the rest of the intestine.

The liver has many roles in the body that associate it with many systems. For example, it acts as a digestive organ by secreting bile for the breakdown of fat (Copstead, 2010). The liver also removes bilirubin from the blood, temporarily stores blood and synthesizes the blood clotting factors (Copstead, 2010). Other functions of the liver are; removing toxins from the blood, metabolizing both sex hormones and steroid hormones. Any damage to the liver can in turn disrupt any of these processes and functions that it performs.

The gall bladder is an accessory organ to the body. The gallbladder stores the bile that is made by the liver to send to the digestive tract. It is located under the liver, so they can work together in the digestive process. The structure of this organ can be described as hollow and resembles the shape of a pear when full. When the organ is empty, it can resemble more of sac. It is a very small organ, located closer to the right lobe of the liver. The gallbladder also sits closely in relation to the pancreas, located slightly off to the right-hand side of the organ. In location to the body, you can describe the organ as being within the in the upper right quadrant of the abdomen. The gallbladder’s only enzyme is the bile that is created by

The gallbladder is known for being a storage space for bile in the form of a pear that is partially accommodated in a shallow depression on the inferior area of the

The gallbladder is a small storage organ shaped like a small pear under the liver, in which bile is stored after it is secreted by the liver and before it is released into the duodenum of the small intestine to break down any fatty foods. Bile comes from cholesterol, bile salts, and waste products and without the gallbladder there is no longer a storage place to hold the bile. It continuously runs from the liver, through the hepatic ducts, into the bile duct, and straight into the small intestine. When a rich in fat meal is consumed, there is too little bile accessible to digest it suitably.

Normally it is a thin-walled, contractile, pear-shaped organ measuring 10 × 5 cm and consists of the fundus, body, and neck, which narrows joining the cystic duct. The gallbladder contains approximately 50 mL of bile when distended and is mostly covered by peritoneum while the remainder is attached to the liver. In some patients, the gallbladder is completely covered by peritoneum and in others embedded in the

The main function of the pancreas is maintaining blood glucose levels to about 70-150 milligrams per decilitre. The pancreas does this by measuring if the blood sugar level is too high or low, if it is not the correct level then a hormone is released. If the blood sugar level is too high insulin is released from the beta cells and causes glucose to enter body cells to be used for energy but sometimes can stimulate glucose to turn to glycogen in the liver. However, if it is too low then glucogen is released into the blood which causes the stored glycogen in the liver to break down

The esophagus receives food from the mouth after swallowing and then delivers it to the stomach. The stomach holds food which it is being mixed with enzymes which continue the process of breaking down the food into a useable form. When the contents of the stomach are processed they are released into the small intestine. In the small intestine food is broken down by enzymes released from the pancreas and bile from the liver, the food is moved through and mixed with digestive secretions. The small intestine is made up of three segments the duodenum, jejunum and the ileum, the jejunum and the ileum are mainly responsible from the absorption of nutrients in to the bloodstream. These contents start out semi-solid and end in a liquid form after passing through the organ. Water, bile, enzymes and mucous change its consistency, one the nutrients have been absorbed it then moves onto the large intestine. The large intestine connects to the rectum and is specialised in processing water so that emptying the bowels is easy.

The digestive system contains nutrients, water, and electrolytes that the body needs to maintain a healthy lifestyle. “The organs of this system ingest, and absorb food and eliminate the undigested remains as feces” (Human Anatomy and Physiology, 2012). The process of the digestive system first starts by eating food through the mouth. After the food has been eaten, it then breaks down into subunits, process called digestion. Next is the movement of the food along the GI tract so all functions can be fulfilled. Then the absorption of the nutrients in the GI tract are delivered to cells through the blood. The elimination of indigestible molecules is the last step in the process. The alimentary canal walls have four tunics (layers). “Each of these tunics has a predominant tissue type and a specific function in the digestive process” (Human Anatomy and Physiology, 2012). The mucosa is the innermost layer and is a “wet epithelial membrane abutting the alimentary canal lumen” (Human Anatomy and Physiology, 2012). The mucous membrane “consists of a surface epithelium, a lamina propia, and a muscularis mucosa” (Human Anatomy and Physiology, 2012). The

The gallbladder stores and concentrates bile. If the gallbladder was damaged or dysfunctional there would be softer and more frequent stools. (Audesirk, T., & Audesirk, G. (1999). Retrieved November 21, 2015 from Chapter 29: Nutrition and Digestion. In Biology: Life on Earth (5th ed., p. 585, 586). Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall.) (General Surgery- Gallstones (Cholelithiasis). (n.d.). Retrieved November 21, 2015, from

The Liver the largest and heaviest organ makes bile then stores it in the gallbladder. Which stores the bile then squirts it into the small intestine to break down fatty foods if needed. Banana squeezes through the Duendom the beginning part of the small intestine connecting the small intestine to the stomach. The small intestine is a 600cm long tube, and does the most absorption in the whole digestive system through little finger like sponges called villi. Villi have capillaries located through them that absorb nutrients then leak the nutrients into the bloodstream. The nutrients are leaked into the bloodstream because cells need nutrients to be able to do their jobs for the body. Nutrients and

The bile moves into the gallbladder via tiny tubes. The bile is stored in the gallbladder and waits, becoming concentrated, for the signal to be released into the duodenum aiding in digestion. Without bile, the body could not digest fats, as fats do not absorb into water. The bile acts as a detergent and allows the two to mix.