Alimentary canal
- Pronunciation
- /al-i-men-tair-ee kan-ahl/
- Category
- Anatomy
- Singular
- Alimentary canal
- Plural
- Alimentary canals
Definition
The digestive tract of an organism, including the mouth, esophagus, stomach, intestines, and anus.
Etymology
From Latin 'alimentum', meaning 'food', and 'canal', meaning 'channel'.
Example
The alimentary canal of an insect is divided into three regions: the foregut, midgut, and hindgut.
Related Terms
- Digestion
- Gut
- Stomach
Usage Notes
The alimentary canal is responsible for the processing of food from ingestion to excretion.