Upper Gastro Intestinal Tract Series & Small Bowel Follow Through

The gastrointestinal tract (GI tract), also called the digestive tract, the alimentary canal, or the entrails, is the system of organs within multicellular animals that takes in food, digests it to extract energy and nutrients, and expels the remaining waste. The major functions of the GI tract are ingestion, digestion, absorption, and excretion. [1]

The GI tract differs substantially from animal to animal. Some animals have multi-chambered stomachs, while some animals' stomachs contain a single chamber. In a normal human adult male, the GI tract is approximately 6.5 meters (20 feet) long and consists of the upper and lower GI tracts. The tract may also be divided into foregut, midgut, and hindgut, reflecting the embryological origin of each segment of the tract. [1]

The upper GI tract consists of the mouth, pharynx, esophagus, and stomach. [1]

The mouth contains the buccal mucosa, which contains the openings of the salivary glands; the tongue; and the teeth.
Behind the mouth lies the pharynx, which leads to a hollow muscular tube, the esophagus.
Peristalsis takes place, which is the contraction of muscles to propel the food down the esophagus which extends through the chest and pierces the diaphragm to reach the stomach. [1]

Upper and Lower gastrointestinal tract [1]

[1] Gastrointestinal tract, (last visited Nov. 25, 2007).