Question

Name the organ which performs the following functions in humans.
A) Absorption of digested food.
B) Absorption of water.

Answer 1

Hint: There are some organs in the alimentary canal which perform the absorption of food and water, they are typically located at the distal part of the alimentary canal.

Complete Answer:
Absorption of food takes place in the small intestine by the following process-
🡺Plicae circulares :- The inner wall, or mucosa of the small intestine inner folder are called as Plicae circulares. It projects microscopic finger-like pieces of tissue called villi, which again have finger-like projections known as microvilli.
🡺The main function of the plicae circulares, the villi, and the microvilli is to increase the amount of surface area which is available for the absorption of nutrients.
Absorption of water takes place in the large intestine by the following process-
🡺The large intestine is the final section of the gastrointestinal tract that performs the important task of absorbing water and vitamins while converting digested food into faeces. The absorption of water by the large intestine helps to condense and solidify faeces but also allows the body to retain the water that has to be used in other metabolic processes.

Additional information:
Let us know more about the process of digestion-
Digestion involves two distinct parts.
>The first part is the mechanical digestion which is done by chewing, grinding, churning and mixing that takes place in the mouth and the stomach.
>The second part of digestion is the chemical digestion that uses enzymes, bile acids etc.It involves breaking down the food material into a form that can then be absorbed and then assimilated into the tissues of the body. This digestion takes plays in the small intestine.

Note:In the complete digestive system, absorption of food takes place in the villi which is the small projections present in the small intestine and on the other hand the absorption of water takes place in the large intestine.