Organs Associated With 

Organs Associated with the Digestive Tract

Pancreas is a large gland behind the stomach and close to the duodenum, which is the upper part of the small intestine. It is about six to eight inches long in adults. The organ contains thin tubes that come together like the veins of a leaf. These tubes join to form a single opening into the duodenum. Pancreas plays important roles in digestion and metabolism. It secrets digestive enzymes into the small intestine through a tube called the pancreatic duct. These enzymes help to digest fats, proteins, and carbohydrates in food. The Pancreas also releases the hormones insulin land glucagons into the bloodstream. These hormones help in maintaining proper blood sugar levels in the body. 

Liver is the largest organ in the body. It is located on the right side of the abdomen ( to the right of the right side of the abdomen ( to the right of the stomach) behind the lower ribs and below the lungs. The liver performs more than 400 functions each day to keep the body healthy. The primary function of liver is production of bile that aids in the digestion and absorption of fats. Bile also aids in the absorption f vitamin A,D, E, and K. The bile is stored in the gall bladder (which is located just below the liver) and released into the intestine as needed. Together, these two organs (liver and gall bladder) process the nutrients found in the foods we eat. Other functions of the liver are as follows:

• 1 It converts food into nutrients the body can use. 
  2 It helps to distribute the nutrients.
  3 It stores fats, sugars, iron, and vitamins for later use by the body. 
  4 It produces important proteins that affect the blood, such as factors that are essential in making the blood clot after an injury. 
  5 It cleans the blood by removing or chemically changing drugs, alcohol, and other substances that may be harmful or toxic to the body. 

Gall bladder is a hollow, pear-shaped organ. It is located in the right upper part of the abdomen, just beneath the liver. The function of the gall bladder is to store bile made by the liver. During a meal, the gall bladder contracts and squeezes bile into the intestine. 
The   Gastrointestinal Tract  is muscular and contracts rhythmically (peristalsis) to conduct food through its length. The timing, strength, and coordination of muscular contraction are influenced by the composition of food, and by specific body-brain conditions. If the contractions are too vigorous, crampy pain is experienced. If the contractions are too frequent, diarrhoea results. Constipation occurs when contractions are sluggish and slow, or if sustained contractions occur. Disorders of peristalsis are referred to as ' motility disorders'.

The  Gastrointestinal Tract  senses when something wrong enters inside and reacts defensively to get rid of it. The sensing, deciding, and acting functions of the Gastrointestinal Tract are achieved by a complex system of nerves and cells of the immune-defense network, which extends along its surface. The surface of the Gastrointestinal Tract is covered by mucosal tissue. A continuous sensing apparatus lies in the mucosa, which is known as Mucosa Associated Lymphatic Tissue (MALT). Sensors in MALT trigger responses causing symptoms such as nausea, vomiting burning, pain, itching and swelling at the anal exit. 

Inflammation of various parts of the Gastrointestinal Tractis described by attaching the suffix 'it is' to the name of Gastrointestinal Tract part; thus we have descriptive diagnostic names such as gastritis (stomach), colitis(colon), ileitis(ileum or small intestine), Hepatitis (liver), cholecystitis (gall bladder).

When there is malfunction in the Gastrointestinal Tract, our attention is directed to the abdomen by a variety of discomforts, pain, noise, distention, and abnormal bowel movements. 

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