BIOLOGY

Ingestion,Digestion, Absorption And Assimilation Of Food Chapter 6

1. Write down the steps of process of nutrition in human being?

Ans) The process of nutrition involves five steps – ingestion, digestion,
absorption, assimilation and egestion.
2. What is Ingestion?
Ans) It is the first stage of nutrition which involves taking in food through the
mouth.
3. What is digestion?
Ans) It is the second stage of nutrition. It involves conversion of the complex food
taken in through the mouth in to a simple form by the action if enzymes.
4. What is Absorption?
Ans) This is the third stage of nutrition in which the digested food is absorbed in
to the blood stream.
5. What is Assimilation?
Ans) This is the fourth stage of nutrition. The absorbed food material is consumed
by the body to provide energy, or for the growth and repair of tissues. A part of the
absorbed food is also stored for future use.
6. What is Egestion?
Ans) It is the last stage of nutrition in which the undigested, insoluble part of
food is eliminated in the form of faeces.
7. Write briefly about Digestive System in human being?
Ans) The digestive system in your body performs all the functions related to
the process of taking in food , its digestion, absorption and Egestion. It
consists of two parts- the alimentary canal and associated digestive glands
8. What are Enzymes?
Ans) Enzymes are special biological molecules that speed up chemical
reactions in organisms without undergoing a change in themselves. They are
also called bio-catalyst.
9. What is mastication?
Ans) The process by which food gets mechanically broken down in to smaller
pieces by the teeth is called mastication or mechanical digestion.
10.What is Alimentary canal?
Ans) It is a long tube like structure of varying thickness that runs from the
mouth to anus. It consists of the mouth, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, small
intestine, large intestine, rectum and anus.
11.What are Digestive Glands?
 BIOLOGY
Ingestion,Digestion, Absorption And Assimilation Of Food Chapter 6

Ans) The glands associated with the alimentary canal are the salivary glands,
liver and pancreas.
12. What is Mouth?
Ans) Food is ingested through the mouth, which opens in to small chamber
called mouth or buccal cavity. The alimentary canal begins at the mouth
whose function is to receive food and start digestion.
13.Write a brief note on human beings’ teeth?
Ans) Human brings grow two sets of teeth in their life. The first set of teeth,
called milk teeth appear between six or seven months of age. These are 20 in
number and fall off between 6 to 12 years of age. They are replaced with a
new set of teeth which remains for the rest of the life. Therefore they are
called permanent teeth. The milk teeth are also called temporary or deciduous
teeth.
14. What are the different categories of permanent teeth in human beings?
Ans) Teeth help you chew your food, making it easier to digest. Each type of
tooth has a slightly different shape and performs a different job. Types of
teeth include:
i) Incisors. Incisors are the eight teeth in the front and center of your mouth
(four on top and four on bottom). These are the teeth that you use to take
bites of your food. Incisors are usually the first teeth to erupt, at around 6
months of age for your first set of teeth, and between 6 and 8 years of age
for your adult set.
ii) Canines. Your four canines are the next type of teeth to develop. These are
your sharpest teeth and are used for ripping and tearing food apart.
Primary canines generally appear between 16 and 20 months of age with
the upper canines coming in just ahead of the lower canines. In permanent
teeth, the order is reversed. Lower canines erupt around age 9 with the
uppers arriving between 11 and 12 years of age.
iii) Premolars. Premolars, or bicuspids, are used for chewing and grinding
food. You have four premolars on each side of your mouth, two on the
upper and two on the lower jaw. The first premolars appear around age 10
and the second premolars arrive about a year later.
iv) Molars. Primary molars are also used for chewing and grinding food.
These appear between 12 and 15 months of age. These molars, also known
as decidious molars, are replaced by the first and second permanent
 BIOLOGY
Ingestion,Digestion, Absorption And Assimilation Of Food Chapter 6

premolars (four upper and four lower). The permanent molars do not
replace, but come in behind the primary teeth. The first molars erupt
around 6 years of age (before the primary molars fall out) while the second
molars come in between 11 and 13 years of age.
15. What are the different parts of the tooth?
Ans) A tooth is divided into two basic parts: the crown, which is the visible,
white part of the tooth, and the root, which you can’t see. The root extends
below the gum line and anchors the tooth into the bone. Your teeth contain
four kinds of tissue and each does a different job. These include:
i) Enamel. Enamel is the visible substance that covers the tooth crown.
Harder than bone, enamel protects the tooth from decay. Enamel is made
up of phosphorous and calcium.
ii) Dentin. Underneath the enamel you find dentin, which is calcified and
looks similar to bone. Dentin is not quite as hard as enamel, so it is at
greater risk for decay should the enamel wear away.
iii) Cementum. This tissue covers the tooth root and helps anchor it (cement it)
into the bone. It is softer than enamel and dentin; the best way to protect
this softer tissue from decay is by taking good care of your gums.
Cementum has a light yellow color and is usually covered by the gums. But
with inadequate dental care, the gums may become diseased and shrink,
exposing the cementum to harmful plaque and bacteria.
iv) Pulp. Pulp is found at the center of your tooth and contains the blood
vessels, nerves, and other soft tissues that deliver nutrients and signals to
your teeth.
16. Write a brief note on development of Teeth.
Ans) The Development of Teeth
Humans have two sets of teeth, primary (or baby) teeth and then permanent
teeth, which develop in stages. Although the timing is different, the
development of each of these sets of teeth is similar. Here are some facts about
how people develop teeth:
i) Teeth tend to erupt in parallel, meaning that the top molar on your left side
should grow in at about the same time as the top molar on the right.
ii) Tooth development begins long before your first tooth becomes visible. For
example, a baby’s first tooth appears at around six months of age, but
 BIOLOGY
Ingestion,Digestion, Absorption And Assimilation Of Food Chapter 6

development of those teeth actually begins during the early second

trimester of pregnancy.
iii) The crown of a tooth forms first, while the roots continue to develop even
after the tooth has erupted.
iv) The 20 primary teeth are in place by age 3 and remain until around 6 years
of age when they begin to fall out to make way for the permanent set of
teeth.
v) Adult teeth start to grow in between 6 and 12 years of age. Most adults
have 32 permanent teeth.
vi) Permanent teeth are larger and take longer to grow in than primary teeth.