Understanding the Digestive Tract: How Food Moves Through Your Intestines

Clarifying anatomy: The pancreas is not between the stomach and intestines. It lies retroperitoneally behind the stomach.

Gastric-to-Intestinal Transit

1. Pyloric Valve (Sphincter): Muscular ring controlling chyme passage from stomach → duodenum (first small intestine segment)
2. Small Intestine: Duodenum → Jejunum → Ileum (primary digestion/absorption)
3. Ileocecal Valve: Sphincter regulating flow from ileum → cecum (first large intestine segment)
4. Large Intestine: Cecum → Colon (ascending, transverse, descending, sigmoid) → Rectum → Anus

Pancreas Role

• Exocrine: Secretes digestive enzymes (amylase, lipase, proteases) and bicarbonate into duodenum via pancreatic duct
• Endocrine: Secretes insulin, glucagon, somatostatin into bloodstream for glucose regulation

Food moves: Stomach → Pylorus → Duodenum → Jejunum → Ileum → Ileocecal Valve → Cecum → Colon → Rectum. Pancreas aids digestion from its posterior position.