OUR BODY AND ITS FUNCTIONING-3

FACTORY

Our body is a mobile chemical factory. The body proper, is supported on legs. The hands are the cranes for loading raw material into the mouth, where the crushers (teeth) work, to make it in acceptable form. Solid waste is thrown out, through the anus and liquid waste through the penis. The nose is the chimney, for expelling carbon dioxide. Thus the comparison with the factory is perfect.

The body is divided into two airtight compartments separated by a diaphragm. The upper section houses the lungs, the liver and the stomach; the lower half encloses the intestines and the kidneys, plus the sex organs. Because we stand up and work for most of the day time, pressure on the lower wall is continuous, causing hernia ,; so it is desirable to lie flat, whenever possible.

MOUTH

Mouth is the cavity where food is chewed . We must continue chewing for sufficient time, especially meat, to help proper digestion. The habit of swallowing and finishing the meal quickly, must be avoided. All members of the family must sit together and eat slowly, talking family matters. Food must be respected.

The food enters the stomach, through the pipe called esophagus. Sometimes it gets choked and that is dangerous. In the stomach, food is purified by mild hydrochloric acid, which kills  germs

MOUTH

Saliva is produced in the mouth. It is slightly alkaline and digests starch to some extent. The main purpose of saliva is to moisten the food, to enable us to swallow it. Teeth must be cleaned after every meal. The best cleansing agent is burnt rice husk. It has small crystals, which will not allow plaque formation. Village people in the North India use neem branches which kill germs. As soon as we eat sweet things, bacteria grow in the mouth. Hence the necessity for washing the mouth and cleaning teeth after meals.

Liver

Liver is very important. It produces bile, for digesting fats and oils. It also produces blood corpuscles. Dead blood corpuscles are broken up and reused. It is the only organ that can grow, if a part of it is cut off. Though very sturdy, continued use of alcohol can damage it .

INTESTINES

Actual digestion takes place in the small intestine. Pncrease, attached to the intestine, secrets enzymes capable of breaking up proteins into amino acids, which are soluble. Starch is converted into glucose. Islets of Langerhans (beta cells), generate INSULIN, necessary for utilizing glucose by the cells and storing it .

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Undigested roughage is sent to the large intestine. When it enters the rectum, we feel the urge for stools. Delay in clearance of stools, may cause piles.

Appendix

At a corner of the large intestine ,is a small, thin projection called the ‘appendix, apparently without any purpose. Sometimes, small stones get lodged here causing intense pain. Surgery is the only solution. The condition is called ‘appendicitis.’