How does the reproductive system work with the digestive system

What is digestion?

Food and drink must be changed into smaller molecules of nutrients to be absorbed into the blood and carried to cells throughout the body. Digestion is the process of breaking down food and drink into smaller parts so that the body can use them to build and nourish cells, and to provide energy.

How does the digestive process work?

Digestion involves:

• The mixing of food with digestive juices

• The movement of food through the digestive tract

• A chemical breakdown of large molecules of food into smaller molecules. The body can then use them to nourish cells and provide energy. This happens by a process called absorption. It occurs mostly in the small intestine.

Digestion begins in the mouth, where food and drink are taken in. It ends in the small intestine.

What makes up the digestive system?

The digestive tract is a series of organs joined in a long, twisting tube from the mouth to the anus. It consists of:

• Mouth

• Esophagus

• Stomach

• Small intestine

• Large intestine

• Rectum

• Anus

Organs that help with digestion but are not part of the digestive tract include:

• Tongue

• Glands in the mouth that make saliva

• Pancreas

• Liver

• Gallbladder

Parts of other organ systems such as nerves and blood also play a major role in the digestive process.

How does food move through the digestive system?

Muscles move food and liquid along the digestive tract in a wave-like movement called peristalsis.

What changes occur in the digestive system during pregnancy?

Pregnancy hormones can affect the digestive system. The hormone progesterone, which causes smooth muscle relaxation, often causes relaxation and slowing of digestion in the stomach and the small and large intestines. The gallbladder is also affected with delayed emptying. That can increase the chances of gallstone formation. Many of the digestive discomforts of pregnancy such as morning sickness (nausea or vomiting), constipation, and heartburn are all related to the relaxed tone and slowed action of the digestive system.

The growing uterus itself can affect the digestive system. As the uterus grows, it can press on or even block parts of the digestive tract. This can lead to slowed movement of food and constipation. Increasing fluids, regular exercise, and increasing the fiber in your diet are some of the ways to prevent constipation. Always ask your healthcare provider before taking any medicine for this condition.

Many women have appetite changes in pregnancy, such as:

• Increased hunger

• Decreased appetite

• Cravings

• Aversions

• Nausea and vomiting

A few women develop pica, a rare craving to eat things other than food. This includes things like dirt, clay, ice, raw rice, flour, starch, or coal. The craving may mean there is a nutritional deficiency, such as not enough iron in the body.

journal article

Scientific American

Vol. 261, No. 1 (JULY 1989)

, pp. 78-83 (6 pages)

Published By: Scientific American, a division of Nature America, Inc.

https://www.jstor.org/stable/24987325

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Journal Information

Scientific American is the authority on science and technology for a general audience, with coverage that explains how research changes our understanding of the world and shapes our lives. First published in 1845, Scientific American is the longest continuously published magazine in the US. The magazine has published articles by more than 150 Nobel Prize-winning scientists and built a loyal following of influential and forward thinking readers. The archives of Scientific American include articles penned by Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, Jonas Salk, Marie Curie, Stephen Hawking, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Stephen Jay Gould, Bill Gates, and more.

Publisher Information

Founded in 1845, Scientific American is the oldest continuously published magazine in the US and the leading authoritative publication for science and technology in the general media. Scientific American is published by Springer Nature, a leading global research, educational and professional publisher, home to an array of respected and trusted brands providing quality content through a range of innovative products and services. Springer Nature was formed in 2015 through the merger of Nature Publishing Group, Palgrave Macmillan, Macmillan Education and Springer Science+Business Media.

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