1.

Digestion is the process of breaking down complex food into simple molecules for absorption by the blood circulatory system. 2. 2 types of digestion : (a) Physical digestion -big pieces of food are broken down into smaller pieces by teeth (b) Chemical digestion -enzymes break up complex food molecules into smaller molecules. 3. Enzymes are proteins that speed up the process of digestion. Enzymes break up complex food molecules into smaller and simpler molecules. Digestive system

Mouth - Food is chewed and broken up into smaller pieces by teeth. - Small pieces of food have a wide surface area for the saliva to act upon. - Saliva contains enzyme amylase which digests starch into maltose. amylase Starch Oesophagus - Food is pushed through the oesophagus (gullet) into the stomach, by the alternating contraction and relaxation of the oesophagus muscles. (peristalsis movement) - No digestion take place in the oesophagus. Stomach Stomach produces gastric juices in the stomach. Gastric juices contain : (a) Hydrochloric acid - Providing an acidic medium for enzymatic action
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maltose

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(b) -

Killing bacteria in food Neutralising alkaline property of saliva. Enzymes Rennin coagulates milk in the stomach. Rennin Liquid milk proteins Solid milk proteins Pepsin digest proteins into peptones Pepsin Protein Peptones

Small Intestines (a) (b) (c) (d) Duodenum is the first part of the small intestine. Duodenum receives bile and pancreatic juice Bile is produced by liver and stored in the gall bladder. Functions of bile are: - emulsification of fat, breaking up large fatty globules into small droplets. - preparation of an alkaline medium for enzymatic reaction. Pancreatic juice, contain three types of enzymes; pancreatic amylase, protease and lipase Pancreatic amylase digests starch into maltose
amylase

(e) (f)

starch (g)

maltose

Enzyme protease digests peptones into amino acids.

protease

peptones (h)

amino acids

Enzyme lipase digests fat into fatty acids and glycerol. lipase Fat fatty acids + glycerol

Large Intestine (a) Water is reabsorbed in the large intestine (b) Undigested food is stored in the rectum and expelled from the body through the anus as faeces.

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Experiment : To study the enzymatic action of saliva on starch

Observation Test tube A B Beginning of experiment Starch Sugar present absent present absent End of experiment Starch Sugar present absent present absent

Conclusion: The salivary amylase digests starch into sugar Experiment : To study the enzymatic action on proteins in the stomach

Test tube A B C D

Presence of protein Beginning of the activity End of the activity present present present present present absent present present

Conclusion: The enzyme in the stomach digests proteins. Notes: 1) Pepsin acts best at a temperature of 37C, our body temperature. 2) The digestion of proteins by pepsin requires an acidic medium. 3) The acids speed up the pepsin action on protein.

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End products of digestion 1) Digestion of food is complete in the small intestine. Class of food Carbohydrate Protein Fat Final product of digestion Glucose Amino acids Fatty acids and glycerol

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Absorption of the Products of Digestion. 1. Absorption is the process when the end products of digestion (glucose, fatty acids & glycerol and amino acids) enter the bloodstream through the small intestinal walls. 2. The inner surface of the small intestine is covered with millions of small projections called villus.

3. Food that has been digested into its simplest form is absorbed by the villi on the small intestinal walls into the bloodstream. 4. The efficiency of absorption of digested food in the small intestine can be increased by : (a) Has a network of blood capillaries. (b) More villi/villus to increase the surface area (c) Villus with very thin walls. Exp : Absorption of digested food using the Visking tube.

Observation Presence of the type of food in the distilled water Starch Gucose Beginning of the experiment Absent Absent End of the experiment Absent Present

Discussion : 1. Starch molecules are too big to diffuse thrugh the Visking tube. The smaller glucose molecules can diffuse through the walls of Visking tube that is semi-permeable. 2. The Visking tube is used as an analogy to represent the human small intestine. 3. The water in the boiling tube represent the human blood circulatory system.
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Conclusion 1. The simplest digested food molecules diffuse through the small intestinal walls into the bloodstream. Reabsorption of Water and Defaecation 1. The main function of the large intestine is to reabsorb water. 2. The substance that enter the large intestine consist of water and undigested food substance like cellulose from the fibre of vegetables and fruits. 3. Water is reabsorbed from these undigsted food substance. Defaecation 1. Undigested food in the large intestine is expelled as faeces thrugh the process of defaecation. 2. The faeces accumulate in the rectum. When the rectum is full of faeces, it undergoes peristalsis and will push the faeeeces thrugh the anus to be expelled. 3. If an individual has problems to empty the bowel, he or she is said to be constipated. 4. Constipation takes place because lack of water and roughage in the diet. Food pyramid

1. The food at the top is required in small quantities in our daily diet. This group of food provides the highest risk of getting a heart attack if taken excessively. 2. A diet based on the food pyramid will give the required nutrients and energy to maintain healthy body. Exercise : 1. Diagram 3 shows the apparatus set-up to study the process of absorption of digested food.

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a) Which part of the human digestive system is represented by

i) Visking tube: ___________________________________________________________________________ ii) Distilled water in the beaker _______________________________________________________________ ____________ b) A few drops of distilled water is removed to test for the presence of starch and glucose. Record the results of the experiment in the table provided below.

c) Explain what happen to the starch inside the visking tube? ___________________________________________________________________________ d) Why must the visking tube containing starch solution and saliva must be kept in the water bath at 37 0C? _____________________________________________________________________ ______

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