How does the small intestine work with other systems to keep the body healthy?

Answer 1

The small intestine is a key part of the digestive cycle. It begins in your mouth with the chemical and mechanical (chewing) breakdown of food. Chewing breaks down the food and mixes it with saliva and mucus and CACA (helps bond food together). When food is swallowed it enters the esophagus and travels to the stomach using a muscular contraction called peristalsis. The contents are then emptied into the stomach and are broken down even more by gastric juices that contain digestive enzymes along with the contraction of the stomach which moves the contents to the beginning of the small intestine (duodenum). The bile and pancreatic duct empty their excretions in the duodenum. The bile breaks down fats while the pancreatic enzymes help break down other food particles. The majority of absorption takes place in the second part of the small intestine (jejunum). Nutrient and fat particles are absorbed by the walls of the jejunum while the excess waste is sent further down through the large intestines which prepare it for excretion by reabsorbing all liquid. The intestinal wall is covered in finger like villi which contain a network of blood vessels (capillaries). These absorb the available nutrients and transport it to the liver. The fat particles are also absorbed, but taken into the circulatory system. - km

Answer 2

breaks food down