Page:Structure and functions of the body; a hand-book of anatomy and physiology for nurses and others desiring a practical knowledge of the subject (IA structurefunctio00fiskrich).pdf/142

 *tended the bladder extends up into the abdominal cavity, as does the uterus also when enlarged.

Salivary Digestion.—Although most of the digestive organs are situated in the abdomen, the food enters the body through the mouth, where its prehension is a voluntary act. Here digestion also begins and from the first the process is a double one, mechanical and chemical, mechanical digestion consisting largely of muscular movements by which the food is ground up and carried through the digestive tract. Thorough mastication or grinding of the food by the teeth is necessary, while the tongue assists by moving the food about and by mixing it thoroughly with the saliva, a viscid fluid composed of water and salts and having a slightly alkaline reaction. The saliva is secreted by the parotid, sublingual, and submaxillary glands, and serves to soften and dissolve the food and by virtue of its unorganized ferment, ptyalin, to convert starch into sugar. Upon proteins and fats it has practically no digestive action. Moderate warmth and an alkaline medium favor its action, while extremes of heat or cold or an acid medium hinder it. There is little absorption in the mouth, though starch, nicotine, and alcohol may be absorbed in small quantities.

The Pharynx.—When the food is ready for deglutition or swallowing, it is thrust back into the pharynx, a somewhat conical, musculo-membranous sac, situated, base upward, behind the nose and mouth and behind, but somewhat above, the larynx. The pharynx is about four and a half inches long and ends on a level with the cricoid cartilage in the esophagus or gullet. It is attached to the vertebræ at the back and opens in front into the mouth. The posterior nares, the Eustachian tubes, and the larynx also open into it, the last being protected by the epiglottis, which closes during deglutition to prevent food from entering the air passages, just as the soft palate is drawn back to prevent regurgitation of food into the nose. There are three coats to the pharynx; 1. a mucous coat continuous with that of the