Gastrointestinal system (GI)

The gastrointestinal system is a multi-organ anatomical system in humans and other animals that facilitates ingestion, digestion, absorption, and excretion of food and nutrients. It comprises the mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, anus, and associated organs such as the pancreas, liver, and gall bladder. Each organ contains diverse molecular targets (receptors, enzymes, transporters, etc.) relevant for therapeutic intervention, but the system itself is not a molecular target. Molecular classifications within GI cancers and diseases are highly diverse, including numerous targets (e.g., receptors like EGFR, enzymes like gastric lipase, transporters, and immune regulators)[1][2][8]. Therapeutic discovery and targeting within gastroenterology require *specific molecular entities* (such as "Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor" or "sodium channel protein type 1 subunit alpha"), not the entire anatomical system[1][8]. For structured data as requested, the entry "gastrointestinal system" is too broad and not valid for molecular or therapeutic annotation.

Other names

Gastrointestinal tractdigestive systemalimentary canal