PHYSIOLOGY OF DIGESTION

Presented by: Iqra ali

Group members: Noor-ul-ain Ali
Rabia Aslam
Kashaf Arshad
CONTENT
 Overview of structures
 GI secretions and regulations

 Digestion of nutrients

 Absorption
OVERVIEW
 Hollow muscular tube or
canal called
gastrointestinal tract
 Runs from mouth to
anus
 Accessory organs: teeth,
tongue, salivary glands,
liver, gall bladder and
pancreas
 Main job
1) ingestion 2) digestion
3) absorption 4)
excretion
MOUTH
 Tongue: selection of food, turn
food into bolus, swallowing
 Teeth: mastication

 Hard palate: food is mashed

against it
 Soft palate: prevent food from
entering nasal cavity
 Secretion: saliva (3L/day)

 Lubrication, digestion
(amylase)
ESOPHAGUS

 Connects pharynx to
stomach
 25 cm long
 UES: prevent air entry
 LES: prevent back flow
of food
 Food pass due to
peristalsis aided by
gravity
 Stretching of esophagus
causes contraction
(intrinsic property of Acalasia: LES fails to relax,
smooth muscles) difficulty in swallowing due to enteric
nerve damage
Food is retained in esophagus
STOMACH

 Ingested food is
crushed,partially
digested,liquified

Gastrin act to relax proximal Too much acid in stomach causes:

part and contract distal part Peptic ulcer (eroded mucosa)
developing strong peristaltic Heart burn (gastric acid reflux)
waves that propagates towards
pylorus.
 CONTROL OF ACID SECRETION
3 substances stimulate
parietal cells
 Acetylcholine (vagus nerve
increase activity of E cells and
parietal cells)
 Locally released histamine
secreted by Enterochromafine
cells (E cells)
 Gastrin secreted by G cells
 D cells: secrete
somatostatin that inhabit
HCl secretion
it inhabit G cells, parietal cells
and E cells
SMALL INTESTINE  Motility: peristaltic
(forward
movement),segmentation
movement(no net forward)
 Pancreatic secretion and
bile is secreted into
duodenum
 Process of digestion
completes here and
absorption occurs
 Brush border enzymes
 Convert di,tri and
oligosaccharides into
monosaccharides
 Enzymes are dextrin, malate,
isomalate
PANCREAS SECRETIONS
 Regulated by secretin (acidic food) and CCK (partially
digested food), minorly by parasympathetic system
 Aqueous component: HCO3 neutralize pH

 Enzymatic secretion

 Active enzyme: pancreatic amylase, lipase, cholesterol

esterase
 Inactive enzymes: proteases

trypsinogen, chymotrypsin, procarboxypeptidase

activated by enterokinase

Liver secretion
 Bile secretion to emulsify fats
 Form micelle that are easily digested
ABSORPTION

 Glucose,galactose through Na+ dependent

secondary active transport
 Fructose through facilitated diffusion

 Amino acids are also transported through

facilitated diffusion and cotransport
 Whole proteins are endocytosed

 Fatty acids, cholesterol and monoglycerides are

absorbed into intestinal epithelium in form of
micelles where they convert back into
triglycerides and absorbed into lacteals in form of
chylomicron, VLDL,
LARGE INTESTINE
 Motility:
segmentation, mass
Secretions
flow, defecation
 Alkaline secretions to
(voluntary+
involuntary) neutralize acid for
colonic bacteria
 Mucus for protection

Absorption
 Of vit B and K made
from bacterial flora
 Water reabsorption
ANY QUESTION?