In order for the food we eat to become useful to our bodies it must be taken from the solid form we swallow to a molecular form that can be carried through the bloodstream as beneficial nutrients. Our bodies recognize the filling nature of food, but much of what we consume ultimately becomes waste once the nutrient molecules have been separated from the food byproduct. Proper digestion is what allows your body to convert the food into energy the body can use.

Nerves, muscles and digestive juices work together to facilitate the breakdown of the large food pieces into smaller chunks and ultimately to nutrient molecules.

The process begins as the food enters the mouth where saliva introduces enzymes that begin breaking down the food. From there the food enters the esophagus and then on to the stomach and small intestine. In each location the food is broken down into smaller pieces.

Once the food makes its way to the small intestine the liver's bile, the pancreas' enzymes and the juices in the intestine itself allow the molecular nourishment to be absorbed through the lining of the intestine and into the blood stream. The remaining particles are moved through the intestine and into the colon where they are ultimately eliminated as waste.

The bile from the liver is actually stored in the gall bladder when you aren't eating and then used to facilitate the breakdown of fats in the food you do eat.

Another system housed within your body is the regulatory agent for digestion. This system is referred to as the Endocrine system and it sends hormonal messengers to cause the digestive tract to perform the various functions we can observe.

Yet another of our body's system provides aid to digestion. This system is known as the nervous system. The Extrinsic nerve calls for the release of Acetylcholine and Adrenaline, which cause the digestive muscles to squeeze harder and then relax during those times when we eat. This allows the food to be digested much more efficiently. The intrinsic nerves found on the inside of the digestive tract tell the digestive muscles to either speed up or slow down the process of digestion.

It is estimated that your body will digest roughly 50 tons of food in a lifetime. In most cases a human body has 35 feet of intestines which may explain why it can take up to three hours for food to pass through the serpentine digestive tube.

The digestive system is a part of the human body that relies on multiple systems and organs to enable a variety of foods to be made useful to our health and well-being. This system is complex and interconnected. The result is a highly efficient fueling device for the human body.

With such reliance on multiple systems, does it seem difficult to assume these systems evolved separately, yet in a mutually agreeable manner that ultimately resulted in proper digestion? Or is it more likely the digestive system was intentionally designed to interact with multiple systems for the overall benefit of the body?

Perhaps the digestive system
looks designed because it is designed.