Digestive system

Digestion
• The alimentary canal
(gut) of mammals is a
specialized tube
running from the
front of the mammals
( starting at mouth) to
the rear ( ending at its
anus)
• The digestive system
includes the
alimentary canal ,
liver , & pancreas.
 Steps of Digestion
1. Ignition :
taking in of substances as food & drinks into the
alimentary canal through the mouth .
1. Digestion :
Break down of large insoluble food molecules into
small soluble ones that can be absorbed into blood .
1. Absorption :
Movement of small soluble molecules & ions through
the walls of the small intestine ( ileum) into blood
1. Egestion :
Passing out of food that has not been digested ,not
absorbed, as faeces through the anus.
1. Assimilation:
the movement of digested molecules into the
cells of body where they are used ,become part of the
cell
Ex:
muscle cells use amino acids to make proteins bone
cells take up calcium& phosphate to make bone
All cells uses glucose to release energy by respiration
 1st: Types off Digestion
1.Mechanical : break down of food into small pieces
without chemical change to the food ,to increase
the surface area for chemical digestion
Example:
1. teeth : bite ,chop& grind food into smaller pieces
2. Stomach: churning food by contraction &
relaxation of stomach muscles forming chime
3. Emulsification : breaking down of large fat
droplets into smaller ones by bile salts in bile juice
 The Type Of Digestion
2. Chemical : break
down of large
insoluble molecules
into small soluble ones
by using enzymes ,
including break down
of bonds ( hydrolysis)
Nutrient ( substrate) Enzyme that breaks it down Small molecule produced
Starch Amylase Simple sugars
Proteins Protease Amino acids
Fat Lipase Fatty acids & glycerol
 2nd steps of disestion
1. Mouth :
• Teeth : bite and grind food into smaller pieces to
be easily swallowed & increases surface area for
chemical digestion by enzymes
• Salivary glands :
Produce saliva which is mixer of

1. Water Helps in hydrolysis ( digestion of large molecules into smaller ones

2. Mucus 1. Make chewed food in mouth bind together to form bolus .
2. Lubricates food making it easier to move down the alimentary canal
3. Also forms a covering over the inner surface of the alimentary canal
preventing enzymes & acidic juice on stomach from digesting cells .
3.Amylase Digest starch in food into sugar maltose ( disaccharide
2. Oesophagus: its
movement is called
Peristalsis it is waves
of contraction &
relaxation of muscle
wall of alimentary
canal for squeezing
and pushing the food
forward, ( circular &
longitudinal muscles
work antagonistically ,
one contraction & the
other relax to push
food forward)
 Food movement
• Food moves by
peristalsis:
1. Bolus pushed down
Oesophagus
2. Food in small intestine

Why is fiber important in human diet?

1. Stimulates peristalsis
2. Reducing risk of constipation
3. Reducing risk of colon cancer
3. Stomach :
Strong muscular walls that contract & relax
to churn food mix it with enzymes & mucus
1.Muscular walls of stomach forming chyme

Produced from pits in the wall of stomach &

it contains
1. Protease ( * pepsin) : which breaks down
2. Gastric juice proteins into polypeptides * working
best in acidic condition
2. Hydrochloric acid : provides acidic
conditions needed for action of
protease ( pepsin) kills any bacteria in
food by denaturing its enzymes
Secreted from goblet cells in wall of stomach
( function as in mouth
3. Mucus
Stomach
 4.Small intestine
• Its about 5meters
long
• Most of water is
reabsorbed from
small intestine
1. Duodenum : main
function
• Emulsification of fat
• Change of PH of food
containing acid
coming from stomach
from PH 2 to PH 9
1. Bile juice Produced from liver , stored in 1. Bile salts Causes emulsification of
gall bladder and enter into large globules into
duodenum through bile duct smaller droplets , giving
a greater surface area to
be easily digested by
lipase into fatty acids &
glysrol
2. Bile pigments Made from breaking
down of Old RBCs in liver
and act as an execratory
product that leaves the
body through faeces

3. Hydrogen carbonate It is alkali that helps

neutralize acid ( chyme)
coming from stomach

2. Pancreatic Produced in the pancreas and 1. Hydrogen carbonate Reduces acidity of

juice enters duodenum through chyme
pancreatic duct
2. Amylase Breaks carbohydrates
into maltase
3. Protease ( trypsin) Breaks proteins into
polypeptides
4. Lipase Breaks fats into fatty acid
and glycerol.