The mouth is the first part of the gastrointestinal tract. When we eat, food passes down the oesophagus (gullet), into the stomach, and then into the small intestine. The small intestine has three sections - the duodenum, jejunum and ileum. The duodenum is the first part of the small intestine and follows on from the stomach. The duodenum curls around the pancreas creating a c-shaped tube. The jejunum and ileum make up the rest of the small intestine and are found coiled in the centre of the abdomen. The small intestine is where food is digested and absorbed into the bloodstream.

Following on from the ileum is the first part of the large intestine, called the caecum. Attached to the caecum is the appendix. The large intestine continues up wards from here and is known as the ascending colon. The next part of the gut is called the transverse colon because it crosses the body. It then becomes the descending colon as it heads down wards. The sigmoid colon is the S shaped final part of the colon which leads on to the rectum. Faeces is stored in the rectum and pushed out through the anus when you go to the toilet. The anus is a muscular opening that is usually closed unless you are passing stool. The large intestine absorbs water, and contains food that has not been digested, such as fibre.

The speciality of gastroenterology covers many difference disease of the GUT (gastrointestinal tract) from stomach ulcers to bowel cancer, Crohn's disease and Coeliac disease.

I don't know if anyone has ever suffered from gastroenteritis. I had it once and I thought I was going to die. It is a horrible illness, not usually fatal except in the very weak young or old, but I can still remember to this day the pain of the stomach cramps and the vomiting and diarrhoea. It was horrible!