!Digestive System
Digestion is a form of __catabolism__: a breakdown of large chunks to smaller ones in order to release and absorb the needed substances and informations. 

{img fileId="244" thumb="box"}

To prepare this, the mere thinking of a desired food, as well as ((Sensory - Eyes Overview|visual)) or ((Sensory - Nose Overview|olfactory)) impressions, stimulates salivation. Saliva is a liquid secreted by the parotis, the sublingual and submandibular glands, as well as in the ((Digestive - Mouth - Salivary Glands|salivary glands)) of the ((Digestive - Mouth, Tongue - Endodermal Mucosa|submucosa)) of the ((Digestive - Mouth Anatomy and Functional Physiology|mouth)). It contains salivary amylase, an enzyme which starts the digestion of starch in the food. Saliva also promotes the travelling of the morsel. When food enters the mouth, digestion of the food starts by the action of __mastication__, a form of mechanical digestion, and the wetting contact of saliva. After undergoing mastication and __starch digestion__, the food will be in the form of a small, round slurry mass called a bolus.

Helped by the tongue, it will then travel through the ((Digestive - Pharynx|pharynx)), down the ((Digestive - Esophagus (Gullet) Overview|esophagus)) and into the ((Digestive - Stomach Overview|stomach)) by the action of peristalsis. Gastric juice in the stomach starts protein digestion. Gastric juice mainly contains hydrochloric acid and pepsin. As these two chemicals may damage the stomach wall, mucus is secreted by the stomach, providing a slimy layer that acts as a shield against the damaging effects of the chemicals. To protect the esophagus from the gastric juice, they are divided by the cardiac sphincter (LES) at the entrance of the stomach.

At the same time __protein digestion__ is occurring, mechanical mixing occurs by peristalses which are waves of muscular contractions that move along the stomach wall. This allows the mass of food to further mix with the digestive enzymes. After some time (typically 1-2 hours in humans) the resulting thick liquid is called chyme. When the ((Digestive - Stomach - Mucosa (Lesser Curvature and Pylorus)|pyloric sphincter valve)) opens, chyme enters the ((Digestive - Duodenum|duodenum)) where it mixes with digestive enzymes from the ((Digestive - Pancreas Overview|pancreas)), and then passes through the ((Digestive - Small Intestine Overview|small intestine)), in which __fat digestion__ continues with help of secretes from ((Digestive - Liver - Parenchyma|liver)) and ((Digestive - Gallbladder and Bile Ducts|gall bladder)). When the chyme is fully digested, it is __absorbed into the ((Circulatory - Blood|blood))__.

95% of absorption of nutrients occurs in the small intestine with the help of __microbes__. The intestinal microflora consists of 500-1,000 different kinds of bacteria, serving several functions such as digestion, immune modulation, production of vitamins, stimulation of peristalsis, nourishment of intestinal tissue and detoxification of xenobiotics.

Water and minerals are re-absorbed back into the blood in the ((Digestive - Large Intestine Overview|colon)) (large intestine) where the pH is slightly acidic (about 5.6 ~ 6.9).

Some vitamins, such as biotin and vitamin K (K2MK7) produced by bacteria in the colon are also absorbed into the blood in the colon. Waste material is eliminated from the rectum during defecation.

{img fileId="243" thumb="box"}graphic: wikipedia

!!META-Organ Tissues
From a META-Point of View we distinguish organs and organ tissues based on their unique stress-emotion-belief associations and brain relay locations. 

((Digestive - Mouth Anatomy and Functional Physiology|Mouth))
((Digestive - Mouth - Palate|Palate))
*((Digestive - Mouth, Tongue - Endodermal Mucosa|Mouth, Tongue - Endodermal Mucosa)) (BS +/-): Analysis, assimilation, spitting out
*((Digestive - Mouth, Tongue - Ectodermal Mucosa|Mouth, Tongue - Ectodermal Mucosa)) (CC -/+): Gustation, expression
*((Digestive - Mouth - Salivary Glands|Salivary Glands)) (BS +/-): Need to assimilate, spit out
*((Digestive - Mouth - Salivary Gland Ducts|Salivary Gland Ducts)) (CC -/+): Allowance to assimilate or to reject
*((Organ Walls - Submucosa Layer|Submucosa)) / Connective Tissue layer (CM -/+): Ability to manage
((Digestive - Teeth Overview|Teeth))
*((Digestive - Teeth - Dentin|Dentin)) (CM -/+): Ability to bite
*((Digestive - Teeth - Enamel|Enamel)) (CC -/+): Allowance to bite
((Digestive - Pharynx|Pharynx))
*((Digestive - Tonsils|Tonsils)) (BS +/-, CM -/+): Assimilation, choice
((Digestive - Esophagus (Gullet) Overview|Esophagus))
*((Digestive - Esophagus - Ectodermal Mucosa (upper part)|Upper Mucosa)) (CC -/+): Allowance to assimilate or to reject
*((Digestive - Esophagus Mucosa (lower part) and LES|Lower Mucosa & LES)) (BS +/-): Need to assimilate
*((Digestive - Esophagus - Muscle layer|Muscle)) (MB +/-, CB -/+): ability to incorporate or reject
*((Organ Walls - Submucosa Layer|Submucosa)) / Connective Tissue layer (CM -/+): Ability to manage
((Digestive - Stomach Overview|Stomach))
*((Digestive - Stomach - Mucosa (Fundus and Great Curvature)|Fundus and Great Curvature)) (BS +/-): Need to digest / process / chunk down
*((Digestive - Stomach - Mucosa (Lesser Curvature and Pylorus)|Lesser Curvature and Pylorus)) (CC -/+): Identity, terriorial/social anger
*((Organ Walls - Smooth Muscle Layer|Muscle)) (MB +/-): Need to process / hold / forward
*((Organ Walls - Submucosa Layer|Submucosa)) / Connective Tissue layer (CM -/+): Ability to manage
((Digestive - Liver, Gallbladder, Pancreas Overview|Liver, Gallbladder, Pancreas))
*((Digestive - Liver - Parenchyma|Liver - Parenchyma)) (BS +/-): Existence, Starvation, Resources
*((Digestive - Gallbladder and Bile Ducts|Gallbladder and Bile Ducts)) (CC -/+): Identity, terriorial/social anger
*((Organ Walls - Smooth Muscle Layer|Muscle layer)) (MB +/-): Need to manage anger
*((Organ Walls - Submucosa Layer|Submucosa)) / Connective Tissue layer (CM -/+): Ability to manage
*((Digestive - Pancreas Gland|Pancreas Gland)) (BS +/-): Need to digest / process / chunk down
*((Digestive - Pancreas Ducts|Pancreas Ducts)) (CC -/+): Identity, terriorial/social anger
((Digestive - Duodenum|Duodenum))
*((Digestive - Duodenum - Bulbus Mucosa |Bulbus Mucosa)): (CC -/+): Identity, terriorial/social anger
*((Digestive - Duodenum Mucosa (Villi)|Villi)) (BS +/-): Digestion, Resentment
*((Organ Walls - Smooth Muscle Layer|Muscle layer)) (MB +/-): Need to manage anger
*((Organ Walls - Submucosa Layer|Submucosa)) / Connective Tissue layer (CM -/+): Ability to manage
((Digestive - Small Intestine - Jejunum, Ileum|Jejunum, Ileum)) (BS +/-): Digestion, Absorption, Resources

((Digestive - Cecum and Appendix Mucosa|Cecum and Appendix)) (BS +/-): Digestion, Self-Protection, Resources

((Digestive - Large Intestine Overview|Large Intestine))
*((Digestive - Colon Mucosa|Colon Mucosa)) (BS +/-): Elimination, Resources
*((Digestive - Intestine Smooth Muscle|Smooth Muscle)) (MB +/-): Retain, Pass on
*((Digestive - Intestinal Lymphatic Tissue|Intestinal Lymphatic Tissue)) (CM -/+): Integrity, Detoxification
*((Digestive - Sigmoid Colon|Sigmoid Colon)) (BS +/-): Elimination
*((Digestive - Rectum - Mucosa (Endodermal layer)|Rectum - Endodermal Mucosa)) (BS +/-): Elimination
*((Digestive - Anal Mucosa (squamous epithelium)|Rectum - Anal Mucosa)) (CC -/+): Identity, Terriorial/Social Anger
*((Digestive - Anal Sphincter Muscles|Anal Sphincter Muscles)) (MB +/-, CM -/+): Need to retain, Territory-Marking 
((Digestive - Visceral Fascia - Peritoneum|Peritoneum)) (CB +/-): Protection of the abdomen
*((Digestive - Visceral Fascia - Greater Omentum (Epiploon)|Greater Omentum)) (CB +/-): Protection of the abdomen, resources
