Chapter 3 – The Human Body and Digestion
3.1 Introduction
Have you ever wondered what happens to food after you swallow it? Every bite of food must be broken down into smaller components that the body can absorb and use. The digestive system is responsible for this process, transforming the foods you eat into nutrients that provide energy, support growth, and help maintain health.
In this chapter, you’ll learn about the major organs of the digestive system and how they work together to digest food and absorb nutrients. You’ll also explore the basic processes involved in digestion and examine several common digestive disorders that can affect nutrient absorption and overall well-being.
Chapter Learning Objectives
After completing this chapter, you will be able to:
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Describe the levels of structural organization of the human body, from atoms and molecules to cells, tissues, organs, organ systems, and the whole organism, and identify the essential characteristics of cells.
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Identify the major organs of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and explain their primary functions in digestion and absorption, including the five fundamental activities of digestion, with examples of each.
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Describe common gastrointestinal disorders and discomforts, including their typical causes, symptoms, and general approaches to prevention and treatment.
Attributions
This section is an adaptation of “Introduction to Molecules of Life” in Nutrition: Science and Everyday Application, V. 1.0 by Alice Callahan, PhD; Heather Leonard, MEd, RDN; and Tamberly Powell, MS, RDN under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
