Gastrointestinal Problems

What is gastrointestinal ?

The gastrointestinal tract or digestive system is the system that is responsible for the digestion and absorption of nutrients for the body. This body system is built up in humans and many mammals from the mouth, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, intestines, pancreas, liver and gall bladder.

Digestion

Digestion is carried out by various organs in the body, including the stomach, the intestines, the liver and the pancreas. Most of the nutrients in the feed, as such, can not be absorbed into the body. The digestive system has the following tasks:

• Absorption of food
• Mechanical reduction of the food chunks (chewing and kneading)
• Chemical reduction, under the influence of enzymes (digestion)
• Transport of food mush through the digestive tract (swallowing and peristalsis)
• Kneading and mixing of the food (peristalsis)
• Transfer of the nutrients to the blood (resorption)
• Excreting waste by the liver in the intestine
• Issuing non-digested remnants (stools)

Intestines

The intestines are part of the digestive system or the gastrointestinal system.

In humans and most of the (mammalian) animal the digestive system consists of the following successive components:

• A gullet, or esophagus;
• B stomach
• C small intestine

1. C1 duodenum;
2. C2 jejunum;
3. C3 ileum;

• D colon

1. Ascending colon or ascending part of the colon;
2. Transverse colon or transverse portion of the colon;
3. Descending colon or descending part of the colon;
4. Colon sigmoides or S-shaped section of the colon;

• E anus

The duodenum, the jejunum and ileum of the small intestine, which together form in humans may be six to seven meters long. Following this, starts the colon. This begins with the cecum and ending with the rectum. The cecum is a short 'dead end' piece that ends with a worm-like appendage, also called vermiform appendix. Appendicitis is an inflammation of the appendix. People often incorrectly speak of appendicitis.

The function of the intestine is to digest and absorb nutrients. First a digestion process that starts in the mouth.
Bodily fluids from a variety of organs fall into the intestine in order to initiate the digestion process. The digested nutrients through the intestinal wall can then be absorbed into the blood.

The liver secretes substances from via the bile into the intestine. This waste leaves the body with the stool.

The gut has an peristalsis. This is a pinching propellant which ensures that the food to be released in the intestine. If this is too violent peristalsis, which can result in diarrhea.

In the gut cavity life much bacteria (flora) that help with digestion by breaking down substances into easily absorbed nutrients. It is mainly the production of vitamin K is important by these bacteria. In newborn babies, these bacteria are still missing, so they can get by a deficiency of vitamin K bleeding disorders. Every newborn therefore gets 1 milligram of vitamin K. Without this intestinal flora man can not survive. Therefore Antibiotics fight bacteria and are also harmful for the intestinal flora.

For other animal species, the total length of the intestinal tract depending on the diet. Carnivores or meat eaters have a shorter intestine to digest their meat, while herbivores or herbivores require a longer intestine, because the digestion of plant slower (the intestines of a sheep for example, is about 28 meters).

Man is an omnivore (omnivore) and has a length of intestine that lies in between that of a carnivore and herbivore.