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digestive system

digestive system, in the animal kingdom, a group of organs functioning in digestion and assimilation of food and elimination of wastes. Virtually all animals have a digestive system. In the vertebrates (phylum Chordata, subphylum Vertebrata) the digestive system is very complex. It consists of the gastrointestinal tract (gut), an extensive tube extending from the mouth to the anus, through which the swallowing, digestion, and assimilation of food and the elimination of waste products are accomplished.

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The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

More on digestive system from Infoplease:

digestive system: meaning and definitions - digestive system: Definition and Pronunciation
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM - The job of the digestive system is to break down the food we eat into smaller units called nutrients. The nutrients are then absorbed into the bloodst
digestive system: The Human Digestive System - The Human Digestive System In the digestive system, ingested food is converted into a form that can ...
digestive system: Bibliography - Bibliography See J. E. Morton, Guts: The Form and Function of the Digestive System (1967); H. W. ...
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