Question

Trace a piece of food from the oral cavity to the anus. Be sure to list all organs, structures, sphincters, etc., located in the lab manual, through which the food passes through prior to elimination from the body.

Answer 1

Answer

Pathway for a piece of food :

1. Mouth
2. Esophagus
3. Cardiac sphincter
4. Stomach
5. Pyloric sphincter
6. Duodenum
7. Jejunum
8. Ileum
9. Ileocecal valve / sphincter
10. Cecum
11. Ascending colon
12. Transverse colon
13. Descending colon
14. Sigmoid colon
15. Rectum
16. Anal canal

- The food is ingested through mouth. Digestion of starch begins here.
- Esophagus moves the food into stomach via cardiac sphincter.
- Protein digestion begins in the stomach.
- Pyloric sphincter controls flow of semi digested matter into small intestine.
- Digestion of all nutrients occurs in duodenum. Jejunum and ileum are involved in absorption of nutrients.
- Ileocecal valve allows food to pass in large intestine. Here, water is absorbed from the undigested matter.
- The solidified fecal matter is stored into rectum.
- During defecation, feces is eliminated via anal canal.