Levels of Organisation and the Digestive System
Think of your body like a company with five levels of management, each building on the last. Cells are your basic workers, whilst tissues are teams of similar cells doing the same job. Organs are departments where different tissues collaborate, and organ systems are divisions where organs work together. Finally, the whole organism (that's you!) is when everything functions as one unit.
Your digestive system is brilliant teamwork in action. Your mouth starts the process by chewing, whilst salivary glands release amylase enzymes to begin breaking down starch. The stomach churns food and releases acid to kill harmful bacteria, plus protease enzymes to digest proteins.
The liver and pancreas are your chemical factories. The liver makes bile (stored in the gall bladder) to neutralise stomach acid and break fat into tiny droplets. Meanwhile, the pancreas produces three key enzymes: amylase, lipase, and protease to digest different food types.
Quick Tip: Remember that the small intestine absorbs nutrients whilst the large intestine absorbs water - don't mix them up in your exams!