Welcome to the Digestive System block, your third system of second year!
The digestive system is one of the most integrated systems in the human body: As it transforms food into fuel, it quite literally supports every system in the body. As you begin this journey, you’ll explore the digestive tract from top to bottom—pun intended—from the mouth to the anus, progressing through the major anatomical regions—the foregut, midgut, and hindgut—and concluding with the accessory organs, which play essential roles in digestion and metabolism. (We will also revisit a few of the hormonal pathways from the Endocrine System.)
Within these anatomical regions, we will emphasize normal structure and function (anatomy, physiology, and histology), followed by pathologic processes that can affect these regions and their clinical relevance, including neoplasms.
You will also see these threads, which will be woven throughout each region to help you apply these foundational sciences to the content you are learning. (See below for links to more specific resources.)
By the end of this system, my hope is that you understand:
- How the body absorbs and processes its nutrients.
- How disorders in each of these areas present clinically.
- How they are treated.
- How they affect other systems of the body.
This system will be followed by the Behavioral and Neurologic blocks. As you move into these blocks, you will find more evidence of how the gut and brain are connected, deepening your understanding of how these systems communicate and influence one another.
So, let’s dive in! Your journey through the digestive system starts now!
