AshleyCampa

DigestiveSystemLabReport

Thislabreportaddressesthestructureofthemouth,esophagusandstomach,andthe
smallandlargeintestines.Alloftheseorgansworktogethertocreatethedigestivesystem.
The
digestivesystemismadeupofthegastrointestinal(GI)tractwhichisalsoknownasthedigestive
tract,theholloworgansthatmakeuptheGItractarethemouth,esophagus,stomach,smalland
largeintestine.Digestionisimportantforbreakingdownfoodintobasicnutrients,whichthe
bodyusesforenergy,growth,andcellrepair.Foodanddrinkmustbechangedintosmaller
moleculesofnutrientsbeforethebloodabsorbsthemandcarriesthemtocellsthroughoutthe
body.

PartI:
StructuresoftheMouth
Inthissectionofthelabreportwilladdressthestructureofthemouth.Thedigestionof
thefoodstartsassoonasweputfoodinourmouth.Ourteethcutthefoodintosmallpiecesand
thesalivaryglandssecretesalivathatmixeswiththesefoodmaterials.Thestructureofthemouth
ismadeupofthetongue,teeth,andsaliva.Themouthisresponsibleformasticationofthefood
anditisalsothefirststepinthedigestiveprocess.Whatisresponsibleforthemasticationisthe
teeth,t
heteethconsistsofthemolars,premolars,canines,andincisors.Theactionsoftheteeth
performismechanicalandtheteethcut,tear,andgrindthefood.Anotherpartthatisassociated
withthemouthistaste,thisactionismainlyduetothetongue.Thetongueiscomposedofmany
differentstructuressuchasthecircumvallatepapillae,thefungiformpapillae,andfiliform
papillaeaswellasthousandsofmicroscopictastebuds.Thetastebudsarealsocomposedof
severaldifferentstructures.Thesestructuresincludethegustatoryhairs,sustentacularor
supportingcells,gustatoryreceptorcells,andsensoryorafferentneuronsallofthesestructures
worktogethertorecognizethetasteofsweet,sour,bitter,salty,andumami.Afterthefoodgoes
throughthemasticationprocessthenextpartisthe
deglutitionprocess,whichisistheprocessin
thehumanbodythatmakessomethingpassfromthemouth,tothepharynx,andintothe
esophagus,allwhileshuttingtheepiglottis.Thesalivaispresentduringthedigestiveprocess,the
salivaismadeofmanydifferentthingsworkingtogetherasoneandoneelementthatisspecific
issalivaryamylase.Salivaryamylaseismainlyformedintheparotidglanditsactivityisofhigh
interindividualandintraindividualvariability.Furthermoreitplaysanimportantroleininitial
bioadhesioninman,facilitatingcarbohydratemetabolismandbacterialadherenceatthetooth
surfaceandtherewithcariesinitiation.
Thesalivaryamylasecatalyzesthehydrolysisofstarch
intomaltoseanddextrin.
Thesalivacontainsanenzymecalledsalivaryamylasewhich
hydrolysesstarchintomaltose.Thecompletedigestionofstarchoccursonlyinthesmall
intestinebytheactionofpancreaticamylase.Theactivityofenzymesisstronglyaffectedby
severalfactors,suchastemperatureandpH.


Figure1:Photobyauthor.Theimagesaboverepresenthowsalivabreaksdownthestarch
(cracker).Thephotoontheleftisthecontroltesttubewhichonlycontainswater.Thewaterdid
nothavemucheffectonthecracker.Thephotoontherightistheexperimenttesttubewhich
containsthesaliva.Thesalivawasabletobreakdownthecrackermorethanthewateralone.

Question
:Istaste80%smell?
Hypothesis
:Idonotbelievethattasteis80%smellbecausethefoodwasstillabletobe
identifiedwiththenosebeingstuffedwithcotton.
Analysis:
Tastebudsaremicroscopicsensoryorgansthatarefoundonthetonguewhichidentify
thetasteoffood.Tasteisacomplexsensingmechanismthatisinfluencedbythesmelland
textureofsubstances.Therearefourdifferenttypesoftastebudsbitter,sour,saltyandsweet.
Theprocessoftastingbeginswhenmoleculesreleasedbythefoodorthearomastimulatesnerve
cellsinthenose,mouth,orthroat.Itissaidthatthissendsmessagestothebrain,wherespecific
smellsortastesareidentified.Manypeoplesmellthefoodtodecideiftheywanttoeatthefood
butthesmellcandeceiving.Althoughacertaintypeoffoodsmellsgoodthatdoesnotmeanthat
itisgoingtohaveanamazingtaste.Thetexturehasalottodowithbeingabletoidentifyataste
becauseifbyplacingitinthemouththeindividualwillbeabletogetageneralideaofwhatisin
theirmouth.Anexperimentwasconductedwithfivedifferentfoodstodetermineiftheycould
beidentifiedwithoureyesclosedandnosepluggedwithcottonballs.Theindividualhadfive
secondswiththefoodplacedonthetonguewithoutchewingthenext,fivesecondswith
chewing.Iftheindividualwasstillunabletoidentifythefoodtheycouldunplugtheirnoseand
identifythefood.Fromthefivefoodsonlyonewasidentifiedwiththenosebeingunplugged.
Theinformationthatwascollectedduringtheexperimentconcludesthattasteisnot80%of
smell.

Food

5secplacedon
tongue

Banana

Carrot
Potato

Apple

X
X

Cheese

5secondofunplug
noseandchew

5secondchewing

Figure2:Thetableaboverepresentstheresultsfromthetastebudlabandprovesthattasteisnot
80%smellbecausethefoodwasabletobeidentifiedwithouthavingthenoseunplugged.

Figure3:Phototakenbyauthor.Theimageaboveisofananimal'smouthwithasetofteeth.
Theimageincludesthefollowingteeth,molars,premolars,canine,lateralincisors,central
incisors,andtheoralcavity.

PartII:EsophagusandStomach
Thissectionofthelabreportwilladdresstheesophagusandthestomach.Themajor
componentsofthedigestivesystemaretheesophagusandstomach.Whenthefoodgoesthrough
themasticationprocessthefoodthengoesthroughthedeglutitionprocess.Afterthefoodis
swalloweditgoestotheesophagusandlaterintothestomach.Thefoodthatwasmasticatedand
swallowediscalledthebolus.Themainfunctionoftheesophagusistocarrythebolusintothe
stomach.Theesophagusiswhatcarriesthebolusdowntheesophagusthroughthelower

esophagealsphincterandintothestomach.Thestomachactsasareservoirtostartdigestionand
pumpfoodintotheintestines.Thestomachiswellknownforcontainingseveralgastricjuices
suchaschyme.Chymeisthep
ulpyacidicfluidthatpassesfromthestomachtothesmall
intestine,consistingofgastricjuicesandpartlydigestedfood.Thestomachiswherethe
digestivejuicesareformedbythegastricglands.
Enzymesareproteinsthatbreakdownthefood
thatisdigested,thebreakdownofproteinintocarbohydratesandaminoacidsinglucose.The
enzymesactdifferentlyasdifferentlevelsofpHarebeingaddedtothem.Theenzymewill
possiblygetdenaturedandwillnotfunctioncorrectlyifthepHlevelsaretooloworiftheyare
toohigh.

Figure4:Photosbyauthor.Theimageaboveisthecatesophagusandstomachwhichiswhere
digestiontakesplace.

Theeffectsofhydrochloricacidontheprotein(eggwhite)intheproteinanddigestion
experiment.Theproteininthelabwasaverythinsliceofeggwhiteinacontrolledtesttubeand
experimenttesttube.Inthecontroltesttubewedidnotputanyhydrochloricacidandinthe
experimenttesttubeweputtendropsofhydrochloricacid(HCL).
Question:
HowdoesaddingHCLaffectthefunctionoftheenzyme(pepsin)?
Hypothesis:
ByaddingtheHCL,willincreasetheperformanceofthepepsinenzyme.
Analysis:
Thecontroltesttubewithoutthehydrochloricacidstillhadthemajorityoftheprotein
inside.Addingthehydrochloricacidtotheexperimenttesttube,theproteinwasbrokendown
withinatwentyfourhours.Thisindicatesthatwhentheenzyme(pepsin)ismixedwiththeHCL
thepHlevelwillincreaseandthepepsinismoreeffectualatbreakingdownthefood.


Figure5:Photobyauthor.Theimagesaboveshowsthepicturesofthecontrolandexperiment
tubesbeforethetwentyfourhourperiodandafterthetwentyfourhourperiod.Onthepictureon
theleft,thetesttubeontheleftisthecontroltubewithnoHCLandthetesttubeontherightis
theexperimenttubewithHCL.BothtesttubeslookexactlyalikebecausetheHCLhasnothad
anyeffectontheprotein.Onthepictureontheright,thetesttubeontheleftcontainstheHCL.
ThepepsinperformedbetterwithHCLwhichcausedittodigestitquickerthanjustthepepsin
alone.ThetesttubeontherightisthecontroltesttubewithnoHCLithadnodifferenteffect
becausethepepsinalonecannotdigesttheproteinquickenoughcomparedtothepepsinwith
HCL.

Figure6:ThisshowshowtheHCLaffectsthebreakdownoftheproteininaseriesofthreedays.

PartIII:SmallandLargeIntestines
Thesmallintestineisthepartofthegastrointestinaltractbetweenthestomachandthe
largeintestine,itiswheremostofthedigestionandabsorptionoffoodtakesplace.Thesmall
intestinehasthreesectionswhicharetheduodenum,jejunum,andileum.Theduodenumisthe
firstsectionofthesmallintestineandistheshortestpartofthesmallintestine.Theduodenumis
wheremostchemicaldigestiontakesplace.Thejejunumisthesecondpartofthesmallintestine.
Thefunctionofthejejunumisspecializedfortheabsorption,byenterocytes,ofsmallnutrient
particleswhichhavebeenpreviouslydigestedbyenzymesintheduodenum.Thenutrientspass
fromtheenterocytesandentertheliverthroughthehepaticportalvein.Theiluemisthefinal
sectionofthesmallintestine.ThefunctionoftheileumismainlytoabsorbvitaminB12andbile
saltsandproductsofdigestionthatwerenotabsorbedbythejejunum.Thelargeintestine,also
calledthecolonorthelargebowel,itisthelastpartofthedigestivesystem.Waterisabsorbed
hereandtheremainingwastematerialisstoredasfecesbeforebeingremovedbydefecation.


Figure7.Photosbyauthor.
Inthefigureaboveisanimageofthesmallintestineandlarge
intestines.Whatislabeledistheduodenum,Jejunum,Ileum,Ileocecalsphincter,smallintestine,
largeintestine,plicacirculares,sigmoidcolon,transversecolon,ascendinganddescending
colon,andtherectum.Allofthesearepartoftheintestinesandtheirfunctionplayanimportant
roleinthedigestivesystem.

Figure8:
Thetableaboveisrepresentingtherawdatathatwasconductedduringthelabby
cannulatingratstomonitorandassesshowhormonescanaffectgastrointestinaltract.Thetable
includes5differentunknownswhichincludeCCK,secretin,ACH,Gastric,andGIP.Allofthese
hormoneshavecausedadifferentreactiontothegastrointestinaltract.Dependingonthe
hormonethattheratwasinjectedwithwillcausethenumbersfortheunknownsand
experimentaldatatoincreaseordecrease.


Figure9:Inthetableabovewetookrawdatafromthefigure8andanalyzedthefigures.The
tableaboveshowsthechangeswithintherat'sgastrointestinaltractandwhichspecificunknowns
affectit.Forexampleintheunknown3wecametotheconclusionthatwhatwasinjectedinthe
ratwasacetylcholine.Theacetylcholinemimicsthevagusnerve.Thevagusnerveincreasesthe
motilityofthestomachandsmallintestine.Inthiscaseboththemotilityofthestomachand
smallintestineincreased.Thecontroldataforthemotilityofthestomachwas3andthe
unknownwas15,thenumberincreasedby12.Thecontroldataforthemotilityofthesmall
intestinewas15andtheunknownwas30,thenumberincreasedby15.

Conclusion:Inconclusion,thedigestivesystemisdealingwithtaste,fooddigestion,
thebreakdownofenzymesandevenhormonedispersion.Tasteisasensethathasbeensaidto
be80%smellbutontheotherhandwehavefoundthatwiththenosepluggedandfoodplaced
onthetonguewewereabletoidentifybasicfood.Wefoundthatthesalivaryamylaseis
responsibleforthebreakdownofstarch.Weusedacrackertoactasthestarchandsawit
breakdownoveraserisofdays.Thepepsinlabhadasimilareffect,weusedaneggwhiteas
proteinandplacedpepsinandHCL.Wewatchedthisfordaysandtheenzymesbreakdown
theaminoacidsoveracoupleofdays.Thedigestivesystemproduceshormonessuchas
Gastrin,Secretin,GIP,andCCK.Gastrinisreleasedfromcellslocatedintheduodenumthen
travelsthroughthebloodstreamandtotheheartandreturnstothestomachtostimulate
parietalcells.SecretintravelsthroughthebloodtothepancreastostimulatepancreaticHCO3
tobereleased.HCOneutralizestheacidicgastricjuicessothatthesmallintestineisnot
harmed.GIPisreleasedfromtheKcellsandissecretedmainlyinresponsetofat,andtolesser
extenttocarbohydratespresentintheduodenum.CCKisaresultfromthegallbladder
contractingtoreleasebileandpancreaticdigestiveenzymes.