Accessory Organs and Their Functions

The accessory organs aid in digestion but are not a part of the G.I tract and are made up of the liver, pancreas and the gall bladder. They have various important functions that aid our bodies in various ways.

The liver is divided into 2 lobes and its main digestive function is to produce bile which is necessary for fat digestion. Bile leaves the liver via the hepatic duct which then is stored in the cystic duct both of these ducts then form a union to the duodenum called the common bile duct. Blood is brought to the liver by the hepatic artery and away from the liver by the portal vein. There are 11 major functions to the liver: Secretes bile, filters RBC's and bacteria, blood coagulation, manufactures albumin to maintain blood volume, manufactures cholesterol, coverts ammonia to urea, detoxifies poisons, activates vitamin D, breaks down nitrogenous wastes to urea, strokes glycogen, and provides main source of body heat.

The gall bladder is a muscular sac that is used to store bile. If this bile is not excreted by the gall bladder it can cause gall stones. If someone has a diet high in fatty foods the gall bladder is overworked and bile then sits everywhere.

The pancreas produces enzymes that aid in braking down fats, carbohydrates and proteins and help neutralize chime with the secretion of alkaline fluids: Amylase digest starches, trypsin digests proteins, lipase digests fats and nucleases digests nucleic acids.

Some medical experts will even include the salivary glands as an accessory organ and not as part of the original digestive system because of this I have included them here in this article. The salivary glands are located in the mouth and help with the digestive process by secreting mucus which helps bind the foods together; this is secreted by the mucous cells. The serous cells secrete a thin fluid called amylase this is a type of digestive juice. Then when the mucous and amylase combine they form our saliva.

While the above organs are not part of the G.I tract you can see the importance that they have when it comes to the aid in the digestion process. The entire digestive process is vital to our survival and many system's and organs work together to ensure our overall health in the digestion process.

Keep in mind the accessory organs may have uses that are outside of the digestive process and this only covers their use in the digestive structure of the body.

Sources:
Mosby (2005) Foundations and Adult Health Nursing (5th ed.) Missouri: Christensen & Kockrow.
Personal Knowledge