Illustration of the components of the human digestive system or alimentary canal, arranged in their relative positions over a silhouette of the human body. The alimentary canal extends from the mouth to the anus, with each region being specialized for a different stage in the processing of food, from mechanical breakdown in the mouth to chemical digestion & absorption in the stomach (top right, under liver) and small intestine. The final stages of faeces formation and storage occurs in the colon and rectum.