Digestive System Lab

In this lab our class constructed our alimentary track through the use of various string colors. The process we underwent included the measurement from our lips to the back of our jaw. This measurement would represent the mouth. Then we measured the distance of our jaw to the bottom of the rib cage. This measurement would represent our esophagus. We were then instructed to measure our height and that would represent our large intestine. Multiply our height by 4 and we received our measurement for our small intestine. My measurements were as follows: Mouth- 10 cm ; Esophagus- 48 cm ; Stomach - 21 cm; Small intestine- 731.52 cm ; Large intestine 182.88 cm. In comparison to my height, my digestive system is 5.5 times larger. The reason as to why it is able to fit is because it is able to fold and contort inside the body. To move through this monstrous system, I would guess that it would take 24 hours to move through and absorb all the nutrients. However, in actuality, it takes 53 hours to move through. I believe the factors involved in the time it takes to digest include the solubility of the substance, how well mashed up/chewed up the substance is. For instance, cellulose will move much faster through the system as it cannot be broken down. Digestion is different from absorption as digestion is the breaking down of a substance and absorption is the retention of nutrients from that same substance. Digestive organs include the stomach and mouth in which the substance is broken apart by enzymes and the mechanical grinding of teeth in the mouth. Organs involved in the absorption of a substance includes the small intestine and the large intestine. Some questions I had regarding the digestive system included what the internal structure of the large intestine looked like and if the gallbladder were to be removed, would the patient need to consume less in a day than someone who still had their gallbladder.