What is the importance of the digestive system?

The digestive system is responsible for the processing of food, its breakdown into proteins, carbohydrates, minerals, trace elements, lipids and other substances used by the body. It also allows these nutrients to pass into the bloodstream so that they can be used by the body. These substances constitute the raw material for the production, regeneration and control of various body systems. The digestive system consists of many organs: the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, etc. The digestive tract begins at the mouth, where the teeth and tongue begin the process of food degradation using the saliva secreted by the salivary glands.