DIGESTIVE SYSTEM AND BODY MOUTH

METABOLISM
MOUTH/ORAL CAVITY = entrance of food
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM: into the digestive tract

 Ingests food - mucous membrane-lined cavity

 Digests food into nutrient molecules  LIPS/LABIA = protect its anterior
 Absorbs the nutrients into the opening
bloodstream  CHECKS = form its lateral walls
 Defecates to rid the body of the  HARD PALATE = forms its posterior
indigestible wastes. roof
 UVULA = a fleshy fingerlike
TWO MAIN GROUPS OF THE DIGESTIVE
projection of the soft palate
SYSTEM
 VESTIBULE = space between the lips
1. ORGANS THAT FORM THE and checks
ALIMENTARY CANAL (ALIMENT =  ORAL CAVITY PROPER = are
NOURISH) contained by the teeth
2. ACCESSORY DIGESTIVE ORGANS –  TONGUE = occupies the floor of the
TEETH, TONGUE, SEVERAL LARGE mouth; with bony attachment
DIGESTIVE GLANDS

ORGANS OF THE ALIMENTARY CANAL PHARYNX

The Alimentary canal = also called the

Gastrointestinal tract (GI) or gut

- Continuous ,coiled, hollow muscular

tube that winds through the ventral
cavity from mouth to anus.
- approximately 9m(30 feet) long; in
living person it is short (muscle tone)
- its organs are the: From the mouth, food passes posteriorly
I. mouth into the oropharynx and laryngopharynx
II. Pharynx oropharynx and laryngopharynx – common
III. Esophagus passageways for food, fluids and air
IV. Stomach
Subdivided into:
V. Small intestine
VI. Large intestines 1. Nasopharynx –part of the
VII. Anus respiratory passageway
2. Oropharynx – posterior to the oral
cavity
3. Laryngopharynx – which is
continuous with the esophagus
inferiorly

ESOPHAGUS
 - Esophagus/gullet – runs from the 1. Cardial region/cardia = near the
pharynx through the diaphragm to heart; surrounds The
the stomach. cardioesophageal sphincter
- About 25 cm long (10 inches) 2. Fundus = expanded part of the
- Passageway that conducts food to stomach
the stomach. 3. Greater curvature & lesser
curvature
The walls of the alimentary canal organs
4. Pyloric end = posterior end; pyloric
(esophagus to the large intestine) are made
sphincter/valve
up of the same four tissue layers/tunics:
Stomach – varies from 15 to 25 cm (6-10
1. Mucosa – innermost layer; moist
inches) in length
mucous membrane that lines the
hollow cavity (lumen) of the organ; - when full, it can hold 4 liters
it consists primarily of surface (1gallon) of food.
epithelium plus a small amount of - when empty, the mucosE is thrown
connective tissue (lamina propria) into large folds “rugae”
and a scanty smooth muscle layer.
2. Submucosa – beneath the mucosa;
soft connective tissue containing
blood vessels, nerve endings,
mucosa associated lymphoid tissue
(MALT), & lymphatic vessels.
3. Muscularis externa – a muscle layer
made up of an inner circular layer &
an outer longitudinal layer of
smooth muscle cells.
STOMACH- Acts as a temporary “storage
4. Serosa – outermost layer of the wall.
tank” for food as well as a site for food
breakdown.

The mucosa of the stomach is a simple

epithelium composed entirely of mucous
cells, they produce a protective layer of
bicarbonate-rich alkaline mucus that clings
to the stomach wall from being damaged by
acid and digested by enzymes.

The smooth lining is dotted with millions of

deep gastric pits which leads into gastric
STOMACH glands that secrete gastric juice.

- C-shaped stomach on the left side of The chief cells produce inactive protein-
the abdominal cavity, nearly hidden digesting enzymes, pepsinogens.
by the liver and diaphragm.
The parietal cells produce corrosive HCL
REGIONS: which make the stomach contents acidic
and activates the enzymes to convert
pepsinogen into pepsin.
Enteroendocrine cells produce hormones  CIRCULAR FOLDS/PLICAE
such as gastrin(important in regulating the CIRCULARIS = deep folds of both
digestive cavities of the stomach) mucosa and submucosa layers
 PEYER’S PATCHES = lymphatic tissue
CHYME = processed food in the stomach;
increase in number toward the end
thick like heavy cream
of the small intestine
SMALL INTESTINE

- Major digestive organ

- The longest section of the
alimentary tube 2-4m (7 – 13 feet) in
a living person
- Hangs in sausagelike coils in the
abdominal cavity (except for the
initial part); suspended from the
posterior abdominal wall by the fan-
shaped mesentery

THREE SUBDIVISIONS:

 Duodenum – twelve fingers widths

long; 5%; chemical breakdown of
food
 Jejunum – empty; nearly 40%
 Ileum – twisted intestine; almost
60%
- joins the large intestine at the
ileocecal valve

PANCREAS

- Produce important enzymes;

delivered to the duodenum through
the pancreatic ducts.
 BILE(liver) – also enters the LARGE INTESTINE
duodenum through the bile duct
 VILLI = fingerlike projections of the - Larger in diameter than the small
mucosa intestine but shorter in length,
- Within each villus is a rich capillary about 1.5m (5feet) long
bed & a modified lymphatic capillary - Extends from the ileocecal valve to
“Lacteal” the anus.
 MICROVILLI =tiny projections of the
MAJOR FUNCTIONS:
plasma membrane of the mucosa
cells that give the cell surface a fuzzy 1. Absorbs water
appearance referred to as “Brush 2. Eliminate residues from the body as
border” feces

CECUM = saclike structure, first part of the

large intestine
 ESSENTIAL ACTIVITIES OF
THE GI TRACT
- Hanging in the cecum is the
wormlike APPENDIX (ideal location Ingestion = active, voluntary process
for bacteria to accumulate and
Propulsion = foods must be
multiply
propelled from one organ to the
APPENDICITIS = inflammation of the next.
appendix
Food breakdown: Mechanical
REGIONS OF LARGE INTESTINE breakdown = physically fragments
food into smaller particles.
1. Ascending colon = travels up the
right side of the abdominal cavity Food breakdown: Digestion = food
2. Transverse colon = travel across the molecules are chemically broken
abdominal cavity down to their building blocks by
3. Descending colon = travels down enzymes “digestion”
the left side to enter the pelvis
Absorption = transport of digestive
where it becomes S-shaped
end products from the lumen of the
“Sigmoid colon”
GI tract to the blood or lymph
4. Rectum
 SIGMOID COLON, RECTUM & ANAL Defecation = is the elimination of
CANAL = lie in the pelvis indigestible residues from the GI
 Anal canal ends at the ANUS which tract via the anus in the form of
opens to the exterior feces.
 TWO VALVES (ANAL CANAL):
1. External anal sphincter = STEPS IN DIGESTION
composed of skeletal muscle,
 INGESTION - TAKING IN OF FOOD
voluntary
 DIGESTION – CHEMICAL AS WELL AS
2. Internal anal sphincter =
MECHANICAL BREAKDOWN OF
smooth muscle, involuntary
FOOD
GOBLET CELLS (mucosa) =
 ABSORPTION – PASSAGE OF FOOD
produce alkaline mucus
THROUGH THE TINY BLOOD VESSELS
(bicarbonate –rich);
INTESTINAL WALLS)
lubricates the passage of
 ASSIMILATION – UTILIZATION OF
feces
NUTRIENTS
 EGESTION – ELIMINATION OF
UNDIGESTED FOOD (ANUS)

ACCESSORY PARTS

1. Lips
2. Tongue
3. Teeth

SALIVARY GLANDS:
 1. PAROTID GLAND – behind & below LONGITUDINAL SECTION OF A CANINE
the ears; secretes saliva with Ptyalin; TOOTH
Parotid/Stensen’s Duct
2. SUBMAXILLARY/SUBMANDIBULAR
GLAND – below the mandible;
secretes saliva; Wharton’s duct
3. SUBLINGUAL GLAND – beneath the
tongue; secretes saliva; Bartolin’s &
Rivinius’s Duct

TEETH

TWO SETS OF TEETH

I. TEMPORARY/MILK/DECIDUOUS
TEETH = 20; LOST BETWEEN 6-13
YEARS OF AGE
II. PERMANENT TEETH = 32; LOW BLOOD GLUCOSE LEVEL =stimulates
second set of teeth the hunger center (hypothalamus of the
 incisors – 8 brain)
 canines – 4
 premolars – 8 HIGH BLOOD GLUCOSE LEVEL = stimulates
 molars – 12 the satiety center (hypothalamus)
 last molar – wisdom
PEPTIC ULCER = round, sharply defined
tooth
crate 1-4cm in diameter in the mucosa of
DECIDUOUS AND PERMANENT TEETH any part of the GI tract exposed to the
secretion of the stomach

GALLSTONES = form when the bile is stored

in the gall bladder for too long or too much
water is removed

JAUNDICE = tissue becomes yellow; large

amount of bilirubin in the blood

HEPATITIS A , HEPATITIS B, HEPATITIS C

CIRRHOSIS = chronic disease of the liver;

organ becomes fatty

HEARTBURN = gastric juice backs up into

the esophagus

ESOPHAGITIS =inflammation of the

esophagus

HIATAL HERNIA = superior part of the

stomach protrudes slightly above the
diaphragm
DIARRHEA = result from any condition that
rushes food residue through the large
intestine before the organ has sufficient
time to absorb the water

CONSTIPATION =result from lack of fiber in

the diet