DIGESTIVE SYSTEM

WHAT IS THE HUMAN DIGESTIVE SYSTEM?

The human digestive system consists of the gastrointestinal
tract plus the accessory organs of digestion. Digestion
involves the breakdown of food into smaller and smaller
components, until they can be absorbed and assimilated into
the body. The process of digestion has many stages.
The human digestive system is described as “tubelike”. This is
because on both ends of the digestive system are openings,
where food enters(mouth) and where waste product exits.
THE ALIMENTARY TRACT
ORGANS OF THE ALIMENTARY TRACT
MOUTH
 This is where the digestion starts. The mouth contains the following
structures:
1. The teeth are the main tool for breaking down the food
2. The tongue is a muscular organ that mixes food with saliva. The tongue also
contains the taste buds that enables us to taste food.
3. The ducts of salivary glands, secrets saliva that lubricates food. The saliva
contains enzymes that helps in chemically digesting food.
4. The palate that forms the roof of the mouth. The anterior portion is the hard
palate and the posterior portion is the soft palate.
 In the mouth the food is mechanically and chemically digested. Food that
enters the mouth is lubricated and chewed until it forms a ball-shaped mass
called bolus. Swallowing pushes the bolus into the pharynx.
ORGANS OF THE ALIMENTARY TRACT
Pharynx
 The pharynx is the body cavity that connects the nasal and oral
cavities with the larynx and esophagus. It is commonly referred
to as the throat.
 It is located immediately posterior to the mouth. It is about 5-
6inches long. It is the common passage way for digestion and
respiration. However, breathing and swallowing cannot happen
at the same time. During swallowing, the sphincter muscle
relaxes and raises the epiglottis to cover the opening of the
trachea, so food finds its right way and the passing of air
temporarily stops. The epiglottis prevents the bolus from
entering the trachea which can cause choking.
ORGANS OF THE ALIMENTARY TRACT
Esophagus
 The esophagus is a muscular tube through which food passes
from the pharynx to the stomach. During swallowing, the bolus is
conveyed by the esophagus to the stomach via a wavelike
contraction and relaxation of involuntary muscles called
peristalsis.
 The esophagus is about 8 inches long, and is lined by moist pink
tissue called mucosa. The esophagus runs behind the windpipe
(trachea) and heart, and in front of the spine. Just before
entering the stomach, the esophagus passes through the
diaphragm.
 The upper esophageal sphincter (UES) is a bundle of muscles
at the top of the esophagus. The muscles of the UES are under
conscious control, used when breathing, eating, belching, and
vomiting. They keep food and secretions from going down the
windpipe.
 The lower esophageal sphincter (LES) is a bundle of muscles
at the low end of the esophagus, where it meets the stomach.
When the LES is closed, it prevents acid and stomach contents
from traveling backwards from the stomach. The LES muscles
are not under voluntary control.
ORGANS OF THE ALIMENTARY TRACT
Stomach
 The stomach is a muscular organ located on the left side of the
upper abdomen. The stomach receives food from the esophagus.
As food reaches the end of the esophagus, it enters the stomach
through a muscular valve called the lower esophageal
sphincter.
 The stomach secretes acid and enzymes that digest food. Ridges
of muscle tissue called rugae line the stomach. The stomach
muscles contract periodically, churning food to enhance digestion.
The pyloric sphincter is a muscular valve that opens to allow food
to pass from the stomach to the small intestine.
ORGANS OF THE ALIMENTARY TRACT
Small Intestine
 The small is considered as the organ of complete
digestion and absorption. This is because it secrets the
enzymes that change food into their simplest
components.
 Structurally, it is the longest organ of the digestive
system. And adult’s small intestine measures about 6
meters long, approximately 2.5 cm in diameter when
stretched.
 Itsjob is to absorb most of the nutrients from what we
eat and drink. Velvety tissue lines the small intestine,
which is divided into the duodenum, jejunum, and
ileum.
 The small intestine is the part of the intestines where
90% of the digestion and absorption of food occurs, the
other 10% taking place in the stomach and large
intestine. The main function of the small intestine is
absorption of nutrients and minerals from food.
Digestion involves two distinct parts.
ORGANS OF THE ALIMENTARY TRACT
Large Intestine
 The large intestine, also known as the large bowel or
colon, is the last part of the gastrointestinal tract and of
the digestive system in vertebrates. Water is absorbed
here and the remaining waste material is stored as
feces before being removed by defecation.
 It is about 1.5 cm long and 5cm in diameter.
 The large intestine temporarily stores fecal materials,
absorbs vitamins produced by symbiotic bacteria in the
colon , and reabsorbs water from the undigested
residue.
ORGANS OF THE ALIMENTARY TRACT
Rectum
 The rectum is a chamber that begins at the end of the large
intestine, immediately following the sigmoid colon, and ends at
the anus.
 Ordinarily, the rectum is empty because stool is stored higher in
the descending colon. Eventually, the descending colon becomes
full, and stool passes into the rectum, causing an urge to move
the bowels (defecate). Adults and older children can withstand
this urge until they reach a bathroom. Infants and young
children lack the muscle control necessary to delay bowel
movement.
ORGANS OF THE ALIMENTARY TRACT
Anus
 The anus is the opening at the far end of the digestive tract
through which stool leaves the body. The anus is formed partly
from the surface layers of the body, including the skin, and partly
from the intestine. The anus is lined with a continuation of the
external skin. A muscular ring (anal sphincter) keeps the anus
closed until the person has a bowel movement.
THE ACCESSORY ORGANS
ACCESSORY ORGANS
Pancreas
 Although the pancreas is mostly known for its blood
sugar regulatory function with the production of
insulin, it is the main producer of digestive enzymes as
part of the exocrine system (the enzymes produced by
the gland pass through a duct into the intestines).
These enzymes are released into the duodenum and
help with the digestion of fats, proteins, and
carbohydrates.
ACCESSORY ORGANS
Liver
 The liver produces bile for fat digestion and
elimination. In addition, nutrients are stored in the
liver, and toxins and chemicals are filtered by liver.
 The main function of the liver is the production of bile,
and its secretion to the small intestine.
Gallblader
 Bile is stored and released from the gallbladder. When
fatty food enters the duodenum, the gallbladder
contracts and releases bile.
 Is used to store and recycle excess bile from the small
intestine.
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM PHYSIOLOGY
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM PHYSIOLOGY
The digestive system is responsible for taking whole foods and
turning them into energy and nutrients to allow the body to
function, grow, and repair itself. The six primary processes of the
digestive system include:

1. Ingestion of food
2. Secretion of fluids and digestive enzymes
3. Mixing and movement of food and wastes through the body
4. Digestion of food into smaller pieces
5. Absorption of nutrients
6. Excretion of wastes
INGESTION
The first function of the digestive system is ingestion, or
the intake of food. The mouth is responsible for this
function, as it is the orifice through which all food enters
the body. The mouth and stomach are also responsible for
the storage of food as it is waiting to be digested. This
storage capacity allows the body to eat only a few times
each day and to ingest more food than it can process at
one time.
SECRETION
In the course of a day, the digestive system secretes around 7
liters of fluids. These fluids include saliva, mucus, hydrochloric
acid, enzymes, and bile. Saliva moistens dry food and contains
salivary amylase, a digestive enzyme that begins the digestion of
carbohydrates. Mucus serves as a protective barrier and lubricant
inside of the GI tract. Hydrochloric acid helps to digest food
chemically and protects the body by killing bacteria present in our
food. Enzymes are like tiny biochemical machines that
disassemble large macromolecules like proteins, carbohydrates,
and lipids into their smaller components. Finally, bile is used to
emulsify large masses of lipids into tiny globules for easy digestion.
MIXING AND MOVEMENT
The digestive system uses 3 main processes to move and mix food:
 Swallowing. Swallowing is the process of using smooth and skeletal
muscles in the mouth, tongue, and pharynx to push food out of the
mouth, through the pharynx, and into the esophagus.
 Peristalsis. Peristalsis is a muscular wave that travels the length of
the GI tract, moving partially digested food a short distance down the
tract. It takes many waves of peristalsis for food to travel from the
esophagus, through the stomach and intestines, and reach the end of
the GI tract.
 Segmentation. Segmentation occurs only in the small intestine as
short segments of intestine contract like hands squeezing a toothpaste
tube. Segmentation helps to increase the absorption of nutrients by
mixing food and increasing its contact with the walls of the intestine.
DIGESTION
 Digestion is the process of turning large pieces of food into its
chemical components. Mechanical digestion is the physical
breakdown of large pieces of food into smaller pieces. This mode
of digestion begins with the chewing of food by the teeth and is
continued through the muscular mixing of food by the stomach
and intestines. Bile produced by the liver is also used to
mechanically break fats into smaller globules. While food is being
mechanically digested it is also being chemically digested as
larger and more complex molecules are being broken down into
smaller molecules that are easier to absorb.
ABSORPTION
 Once food has been reduced to its building blocks, it is ready for
the body to absorb. Absorption begins in the stomach with simple
molecules like water and alcohol being absorbed directly into the
bloodstream. Most absorption takes place in the walls of the
small intestine, which are densely folded to maximize the surface
area in contact with digested food. Small blood and lymphatic
vessels in the intestinal wall pick up the molecules and carry
them to the rest of the body. The large intestine is also involved
in the absorption of water and vitamins B and K before feces
leave the body.
 Chemical digestion begins in the mouth with salivary amylase in
saliva splitting complex carbohydrates into simple carbohydrates.
The enzymes and acid in the stomach continue chemical
digestion, but the bulk of chemical digestion takes place in the
small intestine thanks to the action of the pancreas. The
pancreas secretes an incredibly strong digestive cocktail known
as pancreatic juice, which is capable of digesting lipids,
carbohydrates, proteins and nucleic acids. By the time food has
left the duodenum, it has been reduced to its chemical building
blocks—fatty acids, amino acids, monosaccharides, and
nucleotides.
EXCRETION
 Thefinal function of the digestive system is the
excretion of waste in a process known as defecation.
Defecation removes indigestible substances from the
body so that they do not accumulate inside the gut. The
timing of defecation is controlled voluntarily by the
conscious part of the brain, but must be accomplished
on a regular basis to prevent a backup of indigestible
materials.
ACTIVITY
 Match column A with column B

A B

F 1. Ingestion of food
____ a. Saliva
____2.
A Secretion of fluids and b. Defecation
digestive enzymes c. Turning large pieces of food into its
D
____3. Mixing and movement of chemical components
food and wastes through the d. Swallowing, Peristalsis,
body Segmentation
C
____4. Digestion of food into smaller e. Small intestine and stomach
E pieces f. Mouth
____5. Absorption of nutrients g. Mucus
____6.
B Excretion of wastes