CBSE Class 10 Answered

The digestive system, which extends from mouth to anus, is responsible for receiving food, breaking it down into nutrients, absorbing the nutrients into the bloodstream and eliminating the indigestible parts of food from the body. The digestive tract consists of the mouth, throat, oesophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, rectum and anus. The digestive system also includes organs that lie outside the digestive tract like pancreas, liver and gallbladder. 

Digestion first begins in the mouth where the food is crushed with the teeth present in the mouth. Food is mixed with saliva to make it into a smooth paste. From the mouth, the food is taken to the stomach through the oesophagus. The stomach is a large organ which expands when food enters it. From the stomach, the food is carried to the small intestine in small amounts.

The small intestine is the longest part of the alimentary canal. Complete digestion occurs in small intestine, followed by absorption. The unabsorbed food is sent into the large intestine where water is further absorbed from the food. The rest of the materials is removed from the body via the anus.

Small intestine is made up of three parts - duodenum, jejenum and ileum. The large intestine shows the following three parts - colon, caecum and rectum.

In addition to these organs, there are present associated digestive glands like liver and pancreas and salivary glands. These glands release secretions which help in the process of digestion.