common Misconceptions
1. Digestion officially begins in the stomach
2. The stomach is situated very low in the pelvis
3. Digestion involves only a few organs – the stomach, intestines and anus
4. One cannot/drink upside down
5. Intestines are bacteria-free
6. Stomach acid emulsifies everything before reaching the intestines
7. Stomach ulcers are naturally caused by acid burning through the stomach wall
8. Diarrhea involves mixing of both types of excrement
- Digestion actually begins the moment that food enters the mouth. The person’s teeth serve an important function by increasing the surface area of food by crushing and tearing it to smaller pieces. The mouth also serves an additional purpose through the enzyme salivary amylase, which contributes to start digestion of carbohydrates immediately.
2. The stomach is situated very low in the pelvis
- The stomach is immediately below the heart in the chest cavity. Externally, the stomach is located closer to the left side of the individual near the separation of the ribs. The characteristic ‘rumbling’ of the stomach and general discomfort following digestion had misled individuals to believe that the small intestines is actually the stomach.
3. Digestion involves only a few organs – the stomach, intestines and anus
- The digestive system includes a large variety of organs: mouth, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, small intestines, large intestines and anus. Additional secretory organs include the liver, gallbladder and the pancreas.
4. One cannot/drink upside down
- The peristaltic action performed by the esophagus is capable of propelling food down its tube through muscular contractions. Even against gravity, the muscles are capable of forcing food towards the stomach.
5. Intestines are bacteria-free
- The intestines, especially the small intestines, are loaded with bacteria. They are necessary in participating in the digestive process, assisting humans in the further breakdown of food into their smallest components. There is also a large amount of bacteria present in the large intestines, which characteristically give our human waste its ‘smell’
6. Stomach acid emulsifies everything before reaching the intestines
- The primary purpose of stomach acid is intended to convert the pepsin into its active form of pepsinogen. Though stomach acid is indeed a very low pH (very strong), it does not reduce all components into a liquid form – further breakdown occurs in the small intestine attributed to the participation of healthy bacteria.
7. Stomach ulcers are naturally caused by acid burning through the stomach wall
- The stomach naturally produces mucus that lines the stomach wall to prevent the harmful effects of stomach acid eating it away. In many cases, a certain strain of Pylori bacteria are capable of affecting this process and consequently allowing the stomach acid to affect the stomach wall. In other cases, the mucus-secreting cells become disrupted ad can no longer provide sufficient or effective forms of protective mucus.
8. Diarrhea involves mixing of both types of excrement
- The urinary system does not mix with the digestive system. Diarrhea normally occurs due to the inefficiency of the large intestine, whose purpose is to restore water within the body. When this system fails in instances such as a foreign substance in the body, waste is quickly produced and ushered rapidly through the large intestine in an effort to remove it as quickly as possible.