Gastrointestinal tract, its pathophysiology and in-vitro models: A “quick” reference guide to translational studies

Figure 1 Representation of the digestive system and the oesophagus. The digestive system is composed of various organs which are playing important roles in the digestion, absorption, excretion, and protection of the human body. The individual organs differ in their composition and corresponding diseases. The structure of the oesophagus is displayed as a cross section. The depiction presents multiple layers, which are important to know due to implications of physiological function as well as staging of malignant diseases (infiltration depth) and its corresponding treatment (i.e., mucosectomy or fill thickness resection); ¹Salivary glands.