Which sequence correctly lists the organs of the digestive system in order?

• A. Mouth, stomach, esophagus, small intestine, large intestine, rectum, anus
• B. Mouth, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, rectum, and anus
• C. Mouth, esophagus, pharynx, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, rectum, anus
• D. Mouth, pharynx, esophagus, rectum, anus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine

Answer: (B)

Think about how food travels through the digestive tract from entry to exit. After the mouth, the swallowed material goes through the pharynx, then into the esophagus where peristaltic waves push it toward the stomach. In the stomach, mixing and initial digestion occur. The chyme then enters the small intestine for most digestion and absorption, followed by the large intestine where water absorption happens. Finally, waste moves into the rectum and exits through the anus.

The best sequence lists mouth, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, rectum, and anus, which matches this path and the order of propulsion and processing. Other options misorder parts of the pathway—for example, placing the stomach before the esophagus, reversing pharynx and esophagus, or moving the rectum/anus ahead of digestion—so they don’t reflect the correct flow of digestion.