WEEK FOUR

DIGESTIVE SYSTEM AND DIGESTION IN MAN

Heterotrophic organisms get their food from their autotrophic counterparts or depend on other
heterotrophic organisms.

The food is taken in (ingestion), broken down into simple, soluble and diffusible substances through
some chemical and mechanical processes. This is referred to as digestion. The digested food is eventually
absorbed (absorption) into the body fluids and assimilated while the undigested food is removed
(egested)

FEEDING AND DIGESTION MECHANISMS

All holozoic animals have structures for obtaining their food. The structures also help them to capture
their preys. Those organisms feeding on large food particles have their bodies modified into structures
like claws, teeth, beak etc. However, those feeding on small pieces of food have either fluid feeding or
filter feeding structures while saprophytes change their food to digested absorbable form before taking
them in. Parasites on the other hand have structures for boring into the bodies of their host.

Most holozoic animals have a digestive pathway called alimentary canal or gut unlike unicellular animals.
Their gut consist of two openings

 Anterior opening called mouth

 Posterior Opening called anus

A typical alimentary canal is adapted for breaking food into smaller units, producing digestive secretions
and absorbing digested food and water.

A digestive system is made up of alimentary canal and the associated glands and organs which produce
some of the enzymes-rich secretion that bring about digestion.The action of the teeth is the mechanical
breakdown of digestion while the digestive enzymes speed up the chemical digestion.

DIGESTION OF FOOD IN HUMAN

Food passes through the following process in man

Ingestion →Digestion →Absorption →Assimilation →Egestion

Food is ingested in the mouth and the teeth grind the food into smaller units, chemical digestion also
begins. Saliva contains an enzyme, ptyalin that acts on cooked starch to convert it to complex sugar
(maltose). Saliva is a watery, slightly alkaline substance secreted by the salivary gland.
The tongue mixes the food with saliva and rolls it into a ball (bolus) which is then swallowed. The food
passes down into the stomach through the gullet (oesophagus). During swallowing of food, the entrance
to the trachea must be closed to prevent choking. The wall of the esophagus is muscular and it contracts
and relaxes to push each bolus of food downward, this process is called peristalsis.

DIGESTION IN THE STOMACH

The muscular wall of the stomach contracts and relaxes forcefully just churning the food. The gastric
juice mixes with the food. Gastric juice contains two important enzymes; pepsin and rennin as well as
hydrochloric acid for activating pepsinogen into pepsin. Pepsin digests protein into peptones and
polypeptides which are intermediate products in protein digestion. Pepsin works best in acidic medium
and the acid also assists to kill the bacteria present in food.Rennin causes the coagulation of milk into
thick curd (convert soluble caseinogens to insoluble casein). Food stays in the stomach for about 3-4
hours.

DIGESTION IN THE SMALL INTESTINE

The first part of the small intestine is duodenum; the pancreas secretes pancreatic juice which contains
digestive enzymes. The liver produces bile, which is stored in the gall bladder. Bile is a greenish liquid
that emulsifies fat, which does not contain digestive enzymes.

The pancreatic juice contains three important enzymes:

 amylopsin converts starch to maltose

 Trypsin converts protein to polypeptides

 Lipase converts Lipids to fatty acids and glycerol

 maltase – converts maltose to glucose + glucose

 Sucrase – converts sucrose to glucose + fructose

 Lactase – converts lactose to glucose + galactose

 Erepsin – converts polypeptides to amino acids

 Lipase – converts fats and oil to fatty acids and glycerol

In man the digestion of food ends in the small intestine. Hence the end product of protein is amino acids,
fats and oil is fatty acid and glycerol while that of starch are glucose, fructose and galactose.

ABSORPTION AND ASSIMILATION

Glucose, amino acids, fatty or carboxylic acids and glycerol as well as vitamins and mineral salt are
absorbed in the small intestine. For efficient absorption, a large surface area is needed. To ensure this,
the wall of the small intestine has folds and furrows. Also there are finger-like projections called villi
(Villus). The inner surface layer (epithelium) of each villus is thin. This allows the absorption of the end
products of digestion which takes place by either diffusion or active transport. The absorbed food
substances are carried away through the blood vessels and lymphatic vessels (containing blood and
lymph respectively).

In each villus, there is a blind lymphatic tube called lacteal which is surrounded by a network of blood
capillaries. The lymph in the lacteal transport fatty acid (carboxylic acid) and glycerol which recombines
to form fats in the lacteals. This is then carried by the blood to where they are needed. Excess fats are
stored in fat cells to form adipose tissues which are usually found under the skin and around organs.

1. FILTER FEEDING: This concerns mainly aquatic animals which feed on very tiny organisms in
water. They use their sieve like structure to collect their food or prey.Examples of filter feeders
are mosquito larva, ducks, prawns etc.

2. FLUID FEEDING:This concerns animals which feed on fluid materials and so they are called fluid
feeders. They include classes of animals namely:
(a) Sucker e.g. bugs, mosquitoes, butterfly, housefly, tsetse fly etc.

(b) Wallowers:These are organisms which wallow in their food e.g. tapeworm. Tapeworm lives within
the digested food of its host and absorbs the food directly into the body. Therefore, it does not have
alimentary canal. The absorption of its food is through its entire body surface.

MODIFICATION AND MECHANISMS OF FEEDING IN ANIMALS

This can be studied in five mechanisms:

1. absorption mechanisms e.g. tapeworm

2. Biting and chewing mechanisms e.g. grasshopper

3. Sucking mechanisms e.g. mosquitoes

4. Grinding mechanisms e.g. Man

5. Trapping and absorbing mechanisms e.g. bladder worm.

READING ASSIGNMENT

College Biology, Chapter 6, Page 106 – 131