DIGESTIVE

SYSTEM
 The function of the digestive system is digestion
and absorption. Digestion is the breakdown of food into
small molecules, which are then absorbed into the body. 
MAN’S DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
 INGESTION
 Taking in food through the mouth
 DIGESTION OR ABSORPTION
 Refer to the processing of food into a form that will be assimilated
into living cells
 EXCRETION
 Eliminating indigestible substances and certain wastes through the
anus
PARTS OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
 PARTS OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
 MOUTH CAVITY
 Teeth mechanically break down food into
small pieces.
 Tongue mixes food with saliva (contains
amylase, which helps break down starch).
 Epiglottis: flap-like structure at the back of
the throat.
 Closes over the trachea preventing food
from entering it. It is located in the Pharynx.
PARTS OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
 PARTS OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
 ESOPHAGUS
 Approximately 20 cm long.
 Its is a moist, muscular tube that connects
the pharynx to the stomach.
 From the mouth, the swallowed food is
pushed down the food tube by a series of
rhythmic wavelike contractions of the
muscles of the esophagus, called as
PERISTALSIS.
PARTS OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
 CARDIAC SPHINCTER
 A circular muscular valve at the
upper end of the stomach, relaxes
to allow the food into the stomach.
PARTS OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
 STOMACH
 J-shaped muscular bag that stores the food and breaks it down
into tiny pieces.
 Mixes food with gastric juices that contain enzymes to break
down proteins and lipids.
 Hydrochloric acid in the stomach kills bacteria
 Food found in the stomach is called CHYME.
 It can spand to hold as much as two to four liters of food and
liquids when full.
PARTS OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
 STOMACH
 As the food enters the stomach,
another circular valve muscle called
the PYLORIC SPHINCTER at the
lower end of the stomach remains
closed.
 PARTS OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
 SMALL INTESTINE
 Small intestines are roughly 7 meters long
 The small intestine has three parts:
 DUODENUM – upper part receives the partly
digested food mass, digestive juice and bile.
 JEJUNUM
 ILEUM
 The absorption of fully digested food mass takes
place at the lower portion of the small intestine.
PARTS OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
 SMALL INTESTINE
 Lining of intestine walls has finger-like projections called
villi, to increase surface area.
 The villi are covered in microvilli which further increases
surface area for absorption.
 •Nutrients from the food pass into the bloodstream through the
walls of the small intestine.
 PARTS OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
 LARGE INSTESTINE
 Also known as colon
 About 1.5 meters long
 Absorbs nutrients left behind by the small
intestines
 The end of the large intestine is the
RECTUM (short term storage which holds
feces before it is expelled) that leads to the
lower opening called the ANUS.
 PARTS OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
 The resulting refuse materials (feces) are
compacted and stored temporarily in the large
intestine.
 Through peristaltic contractions of the large
intestine, the feces is propelled out of the body
through the anus.
 The process is called DEFECATION or
BOWEL MOVEMENT.
ACCESSORY DIGESTIVE GLANDS
 SALIVARY GLANDS
 Secretes saliva that contains a starch-digesting enzymes called
SALIVARY AMYLASE or PTYALIN.
 This enzyme changes starch into a double sugar called maltose.
ACCESSORY DIGESTIVE GLANDS
 LIVER
 Directly affects digestion by producing bile
 Bile aids in the digestion of fat
 Filters out toxins and waste including
drugs, alcohol and poisons.
ACCESSORY DIGESTIVE GLANDS
 GALLBLADDER
 Stores bile from the liver, releases it into
the small intestine.
 • Fatty diets can cause the formation of
gallstones
ACCESSORY DIGESTIVE GLANDS
 PANCREAS
 Produces digestive enzymes to digest fats,
carbohydrates and proteins
 Regulates blood sugar by producing insulin
WHAT CHANGES
DOES FOOD
UNDERGO
DURING THE
DIGESTIVE
PROCESS
DIGESTION IN MAN
 Food taken into the body cannot be used directly by the body
cells.
 Nutrients in food cannot be distributed to all body cells unless
changed from the large molecules of protein, fat, and
carbohydrate into simple amino acids, fatty acids and glycerol,
and simple sugar.
MECHANICAL DIGESTION
Involves the change in physical properties of food. It includes the
following steps.
 MASTICATION
 Food is cut and chewed into smaller pieces with the use of our
teeth.
 Saliva produced from three pairs of salivary glands moistens the
food.
MECHANICAL DIGESTION
 The tongue mixes the food with saliva. The back of the tongue
secrets mucus, which makes the food easier to swallow. The act
of swallowing is called DEGLUTITION.
 The food tube churns and mixes food with digestive juices I the
stomach and small intestine.

*The mechanical digestion is also facilitated by PERISTALSIS.

carbohydrases
CARBOHYDRATE SIMPLE SUGARS

lipase
FAT FATTY ACIDS and GLYCEROLS
CHEMICAL PHASE OF DIGESTION
 Enzymes which are involved in the digestion of carbohydrates
are know as CARBOHYDRASES.
 Those that are involved in the digestion of proteins are known
as PROTEASES.
 Fats, which are also called lipids, is broken down or digested
with the help of an enzyme known as LIPASE.
CHEMICAL PHASE OF DIGESTION
 How is the chemical digestion of carbohydrates brought about?
 Digestion of carbohydrates such as starch begins in the mouth.
 It changes starch into double sugar called MALTOSE.
CHEMICAL PHASE OF DIGESTION
 The pancreas produces a digestive juice, which contains another
starch-digesting enzyme called PANCREATIC AMYLASE or
AMYLOPSIN.
CHEMICAL PHASE OF DIGESTION
 How is chemical digestion of proteins brought about?
 The stomach has a great number of glands along its inner wall.
 These glands secrete a digestive fluid – GASTRIC JUICE, which
contains two important substances:
CHEMICAL PHASE OF DIGESTION
 How is chemical digestion of fats brought about?
 The largest digestive gland in the body is the liver.
 It secretes a yellow-green liquid known as BILE.
 Bile has no enzyme.
 It changes fat into tiny droplets.
 The enzyme lipase can act on fats better when they are in the form
of very tiny droplets.
CHEMICAL PHASE OF DIGESTION
 Pancreatic juice contains several enzymes; one of these is lipase.
 Bile, which emulsifies fats
 Lipase in pancreatic juice; and
 Lipase intestinal juice
ABSORPTION OF DIGESTED FOOD
 The process by which substances are taken in by the cells of the
food tube.
 The final digestion of the food takes place in the small intestine.
ABSORPTION OF DIGESTED FOOD
 A portion of inner surface of the
intestinal wall.
 It is covered by very small
finger-like projections called
VILLI.
 These are structures that absorbs
digested food from the small
intestine.
IMPORTANCE OF FOOD AND DIGESTION
 FOOD includes not only the organic nutrients:
CARBOHYDRATES, PROTEINS, and FATS.
 It also includes the inorganic substances such as water, minerals,
and vitamins, which are body needs.
ABSORPTION OF DIGESTED FOOD
 Three important uses of food in the body.
 Food supplies energy.
 Food builds body tissues.
 Food regulates body processes.
ABSORPTION OF DIGESTED FOOD
 Food in the form of complex organic nutrients must be broken
down into simpler forms by digestion.
 The digested food is absorbed and distributed to all body cells.
 In the cells, the chemical energy of food is converted into the
chemical energy of ATP.