	Site Map \| FAQ in Daily Almanac for Nov 27, 2009 Search White Pages
Skip Navigation Home American Indian Heritage Month Atlas Encyclopedia Dictionary Thesaurus Features Quizzes Timelines Countries Slideshows

Fact Monster Kid's reference,
games, quizzes

Editor's Favorites

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.

Sections in this article:

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. ...
Suggestions for spelling of encyclopedia/digestive system - The Infoplease spelling checker combines spelling help with our dictionary and thesaurus

See more Encyclopedia articles on: Anatomy and Physiology

Premium Partner Content

HighBeam Research

Related content from HighBeam Research on: digestive system

Digestive stimulant action of spices : A myth or reality? (Indian Journal of Medical Research)

Optimizing digestive health: (and why most probiotics fail to work).(REPORT)(Clinical report) (Life Extension)

Comparative ultrastructure of digestive diverticulae in Bathymodiolin mussels: discovery of an unknown spherical inclusion (six) in digestive cells of a seep mussel.(Report) (Journal of Shellfish Research)

Today's dynamic digestive health culture: as consumers become increasingly open about their digestive health issues, companies are exploring new messages, reinventing old ingredients, and creating new formulations.(DIGESTIVE HEALTH UPDATE) (Nutraceuticals World)

Emerging ingredients for digestive health: as the link between good digestive health and a healthy immune system is better understood, a plethora of enzymes, probiotics and other ingredients gain time in the spotlight.(Digestive health issues ) (Prepared Foods)

Relief for the digestive health market: with consumers now accepting the fact that a healthy digestive system is crucial to overall well-being, the market is alive with new growth opportunities. (Nutraceuticals World)

Probiotic and prebiotic ingredients go for the gut; consumers are relating digestive health to total well-being.(Beverage R&D) (Beverage Industry)

Promoting optimal nutrition with digestive enzymes.(REPORT) (Life Extension)

Empowering Health has knack in digestives.(Marketplace 2007/Corporate Profiles)(Empowering Health LLC)(Company overview) (Chain Drug Review)

Your cat's digestive system: a variety of disorders--some of them gravely serious--can interfere with its function. Here's how to spot problems.(Physiology) (Cat Watch)

Additional search results provided by HighBeam Research, LLC. © Copyright 2005. All rights reserved.

Infoplease Tools