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What are Digestive Juices?

D.M. Abrecht
D.M. Abrecht

The digestive juices are the secretions of the digestive tract that break down food. They include saliva, gastric juice, pancreatic juice, bile, and intestinal juice. The digestive juices are secreted by different organs, vary widely in chemical composition, and play different roles in the digestive process. Each is constantly produced by the body in small amounts, but the presence of food as it passes through the digestive tract causes increased production and secretion.

Digestion begins in the mouth, where the mechanical action of the teeth and tongue and the chemical action of saliva begin to break down food. Saliva is produced by the salivary glands in the mouth. It is composed primarily of water, mucus, various mineral electrolytes, and digestive enzymes including amylase, which begins the breakdown of food starches. Saliva also serves to moisten and lubricate the mouth, provide minerals to maintain tooth enamel, and reduce the level of bacteria in the mouth.

A diagram of the digestive system.
A diagram of the digestive system.

Upon being swallowed, food heads to the stomach, where it is bathed in gastric juice, the second of the digestive juices. Gastric juice is a nearly colorless, strongly acidic liquid secreted by the gastric glands. Its active food-dissolving ingredients are the digestive enzymes pepsin and rennin, which break down proteins, and hydrochloric acid. Gastric juice also contains mucus to protect the stomach lining from being dissolved by the acid.

Saliva, gastric juice and bile are all digestive juices.
Saliva, gastric juice and bile are all digestive juices.

The next stop for partly-dissolved food is the duodenum, the first section of the small intestine, where it is acted upon by two digestive juices. The first is pancreatic juice, a clear fluid secreted by the pancreas, which contains a plethora of digestive enzymes including tripsin, lypase, and amylase. Tripsin breaks down protein; lypase breaks down fats. Amylase, in the duodenum as in the mouth, works by turning starch into sugar.

Digestive juices break down food in the digestive tract.
Digestive juices break down food in the digestive tract.

The second digestive juice released in the duodenum is bile, also known as gall, a yellow-green fluid produced by the liver and stored in the gall bladder. Bile contains salts which emulsify the fats in the food and allow them to be absorbed through the lining of the small intestine. Bile also serves to carry waste products from the liver into the intestinal tract, where they will eventually pass from the body.

Several abdominal organs, including the pancreas, which secretes digestive juices.
Several abdominal organs, including the pancreas, which secretes digestive juices.

Unlike gastric juice, pancreatic juice and bile are both alkaline. This helps to neutralize stomach acids as the food moves into the lower portions of the small intestine, where glands lining the walls secrete intestinal juice. Also known as succus entericus, intestinal juice is a clear fluid containing a soup of enzymes. It combines with pancreatic juice and bile to complete the digestion of proteins and fats. The remaining nutrients are then absorbed into the intestine walls, and waste products pass to the large intestine to leave the body as feces.

Several disorders of the digestive tract can be traced to having too much or too little of one of the digestive juices. In particular, the production of too much gastric juice, usually as the result of a bacterial infection, can lead to stomach ulcers. Too little bile can lead to jaundice or to the inability to digest fats. Too much cholesterol in bile can lead to gall stones. Too little saliva results in dry mouth and increased tooth decay; it can also be a symptom of any of a number of diseases.

Discussion Comments

anon280634

I'm a firm believer that the luck of mastication has driven the humans to store those insoluble starch and sugars that all foods contain.

I learned from John Lennon that if each mouth full is chewed at least 25 times, the necessary amylase and ptyalin are produced to start a good digestion. If there is not enough mastication the enzymes and gastric juices will not fully process the food and they will store it as adipose tissue. At the same time, the message to the brain announcing there is enough food in the stomach will not occur. Am I right?

alex94

Very interesting.

googie98

Did you know? An adult’s stomach holds approximately 1.5 liters of “stuff”. Every single day, approximately 11.5 liters of liquids, digested food, and digestive juices flow through the digestive system. Only around 100 ml are lost in feces.

Over 90% of absorption and digestion takes place in the small intestine. The stomach acid is neutralized and then the food is mixed with bile, pancreatic juices and enzymes.

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    • A diagram of the digestive system.
      By: Balint Radu
      A diagram of the digestive system.
    • Saliva, gastric juice and bile are all digestive juices.
      By: Andrea Danti
      Saliva, gastric juice and bile are all digestive juices.
    • Digestive juices break down food in the digestive tract.
      By: Serhiy Kobyakov
      Digestive juices break down food in the digestive tract.
    • Several abdominal organs, including the pancreas, which secretes digestive juices.
      Several abdominal organs, including the pancreas, which secretes digestive juices.