Accessory organs involved in the process of digestion include the teeth, tongue, salivary glands, liver, gallbladder, and pancreas. The digestive system is made up of organs and other parts of the body working together to break down food and convert it into energy and nutrients. The teeth, tongue and salivary glands are necessary in the process as they are where digestion begins. The teeth help to rip, cut and grind food into smaller pieces as it enters the mouth. The tongue is used to detect taste in the food and to help move the food around the mouth and towards the throat. The salivary glands produce saliva that help moisten the food to allow us to swallow with ease. Once the food has made it through the throat, it then enters the stomach and then the small intestine. With the small intestine the liver, gallbladder and pancreas each have a role to play in the continued digestion process. The liver produces bile which gets secreted into the small intestine and the gallbladder stores and recycles excess bile from the small intestine for later digestion of other meals. The pancreas secretes digestive enzymes into the small intestine to complete the digestion of the food.
