Question

What is the role of the accessory org ans in digestion?

Short answer

Answer: Accessory organs in digestion are organs that help the primary digestive organs in breaking down and absorbing nutrients from food. They facilitate the overall digestive process without having food pass through them. The major accessory organs include salivary glands, liver, gallbladder, and pancreas. Salivary glands produce enzymes that help break down carbohydrates, the liver produces bile to break down fats, the gallbladder stores and releases bile for fat emulsification, and the pancreas produces digestive enzymes and neutralizes acidic chyme for optimal digestion.

Step-by-step solution

Definition of Accessory Organs in Digestion

Accessory organs in digestion are organs that help the primary digestive organs (mouth, stomach, and intestines) in breaking down and absorbing nutrients from food. These organs facilitate the overall digestive process but, unlike the primary organs, food does not pass through them.

Major Accessory Organs in Digestion

The major accessory organs involved in human digestion include the following: 1. Salivary glands 2. Liver 3. Gallbladder 4. Pancreas

Salivary Glands

Salivary glands produce and secrete saliva, which contains enzymes that help break down carbohydrates in food. When we chew, the salivary glands release saliva into the mouth, which then mixes with the food, moistening and softening it and helping initiate the breakdown of complex carbohydrates into simple sugars.

Liver

The liver plays an essential role in the digestion process, primarily by producing bile. Bile is a greenish-brown liquid that helps break down fats in the small intestine, making them more accessible to digestive enzymes and facilitating their absorption.

Gallbladder

The gallbladder is a small, pear-shaped organ that stores bile produced by the liver. When fats are detected in the small intestine, the gallbladder releases bile into the small intestine, helping emulsify and break down the fats for better digestion and absorption.

Pancreas

The pancreas is an essential accessory organ in digestion, as it produces and secretes pancreatic juice containing various digestive enzymes (such as lipase, amylase, and protease) and bicarbonate ions. These enzymes play vital roles in breaking down fats, proteins, and carbohydrates in the small intestine, while the bicarbonate ions help neutralize the acidic chyme (partly digested food) coming from the stomach, creating an optimal pH for the digestive enzymes to work.