How Is It That The Digestive System Maintains Homeostasis?

How Is It That The Digestive System Maintains Homeostasis?

Digestion is the process that a body uses to convert food into a source of energy. For humans and most mammals, digestion begins in the mouth, where enzymes are released into saliva and help prepare food to continue its way into the stomach and intestines. Acids in the stomach break down complex carbohydrates, such as starches, and smaller particles are absorbed into the bloodstream. The particles not absorbed then pass to the small intestine, where they are broken down and absorbed by the intestinal wall to be immediately used as energy or to be stored as reserves (fat). What remains moves in the large intestine towards the final stages of absorption and digestion, and the unusable waste is expelled from the body as excrement.

Maintenance of homeostasis: pH equilibrium

The digestion process seems deceptively simple: matter moves in the body and continues through an organ transporter chain that breaks it down completely before it leaves the body. However, the maintenance of such a system is complex and is based on a balance of pH and bacteria useful for maintaining homeostasis. Both acidic and basic pH values ​​are required at various points to maintain equilibrium during the process. The saliva in the mouth, the starting point of the digestion, is only slightly acidic in order to initially break the food without damaging the teeth or delicate tissues of the throat. The stomach, on the other hand, has to be very acidic to start the decomposition process, also to act as a defense of the body against harmful bacteria or other intruders. To balance things on the base side, it is important that the small intestine has a high pH since most of the enzymes used in digestion can not function properly in an acidic environment.

Maintenance of homeostasis: useful bacteria

Useful bacteria are also an integral part of the maintenance of homeostasis in the digestive system. It is estimated that the average human has about 500 species of beneficial bacteria - also known as intestinal microflora - in their digestive tract, mostly concentrated in the large intestine. These bacteria help in the digestion, to produce vitamins, to formulate the excrements and to protect against harmful bacteria. When the population of bacteria in the digestive tract is expelled or decimated, the host will notice a change in the rhythm and quality of digestion.There are many products available with microflora species that have a positive effect, especially yoghurts, which contain material that helps the growth and health of the intestinal microflora.

Video Tutorial: How Does The Digestive System Help Maintain Homeostasis In The Body?.

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