Digestion

 Digestion: is the process of breaking

down food into molecules the body can
use, the absorption of nutrients, & the
elimination of waste.
Carbohydrates are broken down to
monosaccharides (example: glucose)
Proteins are broken down to amino acids
Lipids are broken down to fatty acids and
glycerol
 2 types of digestion
Mechanical digestion: breaking chunks of food
into smaller pieces
Chemical digestion: changing food into the
subunits listed above by the action of enzymes
The Gastrointestinal Tract

 The
gastrointestinal
tract, or digestive
tract, is a long,
winding tube
which begins at
the mouth and
winds through
the body to the
anus.
The Mouth
 Mechanical digestion begins in the
mouth:
Incisors—sharp front teeth—cut the food
Molars—broad, flat back teeth—grind up
food
The tongue manipulates the food against
the hard palate
 Chemical digestion
Salivary glands produce saliva, a mixture of
water, mucus, and a digestive enzyme
called salivary amylase.
○ Salivary amylase begins the chemical
digestion of some starch into disaccharides.
 The Esophagus
 Bolus (moistened ball of chewed
up food) is forced into the
pharynx.
 The epiglottis prevents food
from entering the trachea during
swallowing, and passes bolus
into the esophagus
 The esophagus is a muscular
tube that connect pharynx to the
stomach.
 The series of rhythmic
contractions & relaxations is
called peristalsis. Peristalsis
pushes the bolus through the
esophagus into the stomach.
The stomach

 Mechanical digestion
The walls of the stomach have several
muscle layers. These muscles work
together to churn the food, breaking up food
particles and mixing them with gastric fluid.
This results in a mixture called chyme.
Chyme moves from the stomach to the
small intestine.
Gastric glands release gastric juice, a
mixture of mucus, digestive enzymes, and
hydrochloric acid.
 Chemical digestion in the
stomach
 Gastric fluid carries out chemical digestion
in the stomach
Hydrochloric acid ensures a low pH in the
stomach, dissolves minerals and kills bacteria
An enzyme called pepsin begins the break
down of proteins into peptide chains (chains of
amino acids). Pepsin functions in a pH of about
2.
Mucus coats the stomach and protects it from
HCl & digestive enzymes
○ When the mucus coating breaks down allowing
digestive enzymes to eat through part of the stomach
lining, the result is called an ulcer.
The liver, gallbladder, and
pancreas

 The liver,
gallbladder, and
pancreas are
involved in
digestion but
food does not
pass through
them.
Liver
 The liver performs several functions
Stores glucose as glycogen
Makes proteins
Breaks down toxic substances such as
alcohol
Produces bile
○ Bile breaks fat globules into small droplets
(mechanical digestion), forming a milky fluid
in which fats are suspended. This exposes a
greater surface area of fats to the action of
digestive enzymes
Gallbladder

 Bile is concentrated and stored in the

gallbladder
 When chyme is present in the small
intestine, the gallbladder releases bile into
the small intestine
 If bile becomes too concentrated due to
high levels of cholesterol in the diet, or if
the gallbladder becomes inflamed,
gallstones can form
Pancreas
The pancreas produces pancreatic fluidand
releases it into the small intestine.
Pancreatic fluid contains:
2. sodium bicarbonate, which neutralizes
stomach acids (pancreatic fluid raises the
pH of chyme from an acid to a base)
 Neutralizing stomach acids helps protect the
lining of the small intestine & ensures that
enzymes secreted by the pancreas can function
3. Enzymes that break down
 disaccharides into monosaccharides
 Fats into fatty acids and glycerol
 Proteins into amino acids
Small Intestine
 The small intestine is a long, narrow tube
that extends about 7 m. The first section
(25 cm) of the small intestine is called the
duodenum
 Mucus protects the intestinal wall from
protein digesting enzymes and acidic
chyme
Secretions from the liver and pancreas enter
the duodenum where chemical digestion of
chyme is completed:
○ Peptides into amino acids
○ Disaccharides into monosaccharides
○ Fats into fatty acids and glycerol
 Absorption
 Absorption is the process of
transferring the end products of
digestion (amino acids,
monosaccharides, and fatty acids) into
the circulatory system and lymph
vessels in the lining of the small
intestine
 The highly folded lining of the small
intestine is covered with million of
fingerlike projections called villi,
Absorption through villi
 Nutrients are
absorbed through
this surface by
means of diffusion
and active transport
 Fatty acids and
glycerol enter the
lymph vessels & are
eventually
transferred to the
bloodstream
 Amino acids and
monosaccharides
enter the capillaries
in the villi and are
carried to the liver
Large intestine
 After absorption is complete in the small
intestine, peristalsis move the remaining
material on to the large intestine.
 The large intestine, or colon, is the final
organ of digestion
 Water and salts are absorbed leaving behind a
more solid material
 Large intestine secretes mucus to lubricate the
intestinal wall. This lubrication makes the passing
of feces less abrasive. Mucus also binds together
the fecal matter.
 Anaerobic bacteria in the large intestine
synthesizes some B vitamins and vitamin K
 These bacteria stop harmful bacteria from
colonizing
The Rectum
 The rectum is the last part of the
digestive system
 Feces are eliminated from the
rectum through the anus.
 The meal’s entire journey through
the digestive tract takes between
24-33 hours.