Accessory digestive organs

pancreas, gallbladder and liver

Lies deep in the abdominal cavity, on the posterior abdominal wall; elongated and flattened Part of both the digestive and endocrine systems

Secretes hormones (insulin and glucagon) to regulate blood sugar Produces pancreatic juice with sodium bicarbonate to neutralize chyme acidity Releases enzymes to break down carbohydrates, proteins, and fats

chyme leaves the stomach with a pH of 1 Pancreatic juice raises the pH to 8, protecting the small intestine

largest internal organ in the body about the size of a football located right below the diaphragm

Bile Duct → Branch of Hepatic Artery → Branch of Hepatic Vein

takes bile away from the liver

brings oxygen rich blood to the liver

transports nutrients from intestine

filters the blood, also makes plasma proteins from amino acids

store extra glucose as glycogen converting glycerol from fats and amino acids into glucose

produced in the liver and stored in the gallbladder

do not aid digestion but help eliminate waste, bile salts emulsify fats and increase the surface area for enzyme action

Bile is made of bile pigments and bile salts. Bile salts emulsify fats, breaking them into smaller molecules for easier digestion

• Detoxifying blood • Storing iron • Making plasma proteins • Stores glucose as glycogen (also breaks down glycogen to glucose) • Produces urea after breaking down amino acids • Removes bilirubin from the blood and excretes it into the bile • Helps to regulate the blood cholesterol levels

The gallbladder is a pear-shaped, muscular sac attached to the liver

reabsorbs water, making bile thicker and more concentrated

stores bile produced by the liver between meals Bile is released through the bile duct into the duodenum when fats are present in the small intestine

Bile breaks down large fat droplets into smaller ones, aiding in mechanical digestion

high cholesterol and may block the bile duct, sometimes requiring gallbladder removal

Small food molecules are absorbed directly by the cells of the villi Food molecules diffuse into the blood vessels of the villi, entering the bloodstream.

mainly absorbs water from waste before elimination

Carbohydrases digest carbohydrates. Lipase digests fats. Proteases digest larger polypeptides. Nucleases digest nucleic acids

proteins that speed up chemical reactions, aiding in chemical digestion. break down food into nutrient molecules, such as glucose, amino acids, fatty acids, and glycerol