Stomach

After the food travels down the oesophagus(gullet), it goes into the stomach. The stomach continues to break down the food both physically and chemically.

Foods usually stay in the stomach, to get digested, for at least one hour. If the meal contained lots of fatty foods, the stay is usually longer as fats takes longer to break apart.

The stomach walls contains three layers of muscles. These muscles squirm and churn the food to turn it into a mushy soup called chyme.

The glands in the stomach lining contains parietal cells which make a powerful hydrochloric acid that kills the germs in unwisely taken contaminated food.

The hydrochloric acid, along with protein-splitting enzyme pepsin made by other cells in the stomach lining prevents the stomach from digesting itself. If there is too much acid or the mucous coat is deficient, the acidic contents of the food will erode raw spots in the stomach wall. These are called gastric ulcers.

Gastritis

Inflammation of the stomach. Caused by stress, fungi, alkalis, poisons and corrosives. To cure, one should take more vitamin A and E which is found in seeds, nuts, corn and fish.

Gullet

At the bottom of the throat (pharynx), there are two openings. One leads to the windpipe (trachea), and the other leads to the gullet (oesophagus). When you swallow food, muscles in the throat and neck raise the top of your windpipe and lower a flap called the epiglottis. These two actions close the windpipe to prevent food from entering the wrong pipe.

Upon entering the gullet, the food does not 'fall' into the stomach, instead, the food is pushed along a track by a wave like motion called peristalsis

Mouth

The mouth is the start of the digestive system. The few parts in the mouth are teeth, saliva, and the tongue.

Teeth

The human body has 2 sets of teeth. The first set of 20 teeth grows from about birth to 3 years of age. These are called baby or milk teeth. At about 6 years of age, the first set of teeth begin to drop naturally as they are replaced by a second set called adult or permanent teeth. Most people have 32 adult teeth. There are 4 different types of teeth.

•  Your front teeth are called the incisors. They bite off large food items. 
  
• Behind them are canines. These teeth are used to tear up though food. The canines are taller and more pointed compared to the incisors.
• Next in line is the pre-molars which are used for squashing and crushing food. The pre-molars are wider than both the incisors and the canines.
• At the rear of the mouth are the molars. They are used for chewing. The molars are the broadest teeth.
  

Saliva

Saliva contains a type of enzyme called amylase. This enzyme breaks apart starch. This is why when we chew starchy foods like bread, potatoes, pasta or rice, we can sometimes taste them becoming sweeter.

Tongue

The tongue taste food so that we know what we are eating. It can tell us when a food is rotten when it taste bitter. The tongue also shifts bits of food stuck among the teeth.

After the food is chewed into soft paste by the teeth, it is swallowed and continues on its digestive journey.