Digestive System

HUMAN DIGESTIVE
SYSTEM
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
DIGESTION PROCESS
 The start of the process - the mouth: The digestive

process begins in the mouth. Food is partly broken down
by the process of chewing and by the chemical action of
salivary enzymes (these enzymes are produced by the
salivary glands and break down starches into smaller
molecules).
On the way to the stomach: the esophagus -
After being chewed and swallowed, the food enters
the esophagus. The esophagus is a long tube that
runs from the mouth to the stomach. It uses
rhythmic, wave-like muscle movements (called
peristalsis) to force food from the throat into the
stomach. This muscle movement gives us the ability
to eat or drink even when we're upside-down
•In the stomach -
The stomach is a
large, sack-like organ
that churns the food
and bathes it in a
very strong acid
(gastric acid). Food in
the stomach that is
partly digested and
mixed with stomach
acids is called chyme.
•In the small intestine - After being in
the stomach, food enters the duodenum,
the first part of the small intestine. It then
enters the jejunum and then the ileum
(the final part of the small intestine). In the
small intestine, bile (produced in the liver
and stored in the gall bladder), pancreatic
enzymes, and other digestive enzymes
produced by the inner wall of the small
intestine help in the breakdown of food.
•In the large intestine - After passing through
the small intestine, food passes into the large
intestine. In the large intestine, some of the
water and electrolytes (chemicals like sodium)
are removed from the food. Many microbes
(bacteria like Bacteroides, Lactobacillus
acidophilus, Escherichia coli, and Klebsiella) in
the large intestine help in the digestion
process. The first part of the large intestine is
called the cecum (the appendix is connected to
the cecum). Food then travels upward in the
ascending colon. The food travels across the
abdomen in the transverse colon, goes back
down the other side of the body in the
descending colon, and then through the
sigmoid colon.
•The end of the process - Solid waste is then stored
in the rectum until it is excreted via the anus.
ABSORPTION AND TRANSPORT OF
NUTRIENTS
 Digested molecules of food, as well as water and

minerals from the diet, are absorbed from the cavity of
the upper small intestine. Most absorbed materials cross
the mucosa into the blood and are carried off in the
bloodstream to other parts of the body for storage or
further chemical change
The digestible carbohydrates are broken into
simpler molecules by enzymes in the saliva, in
juice produced by the pancreas, and in the lining
of the small intestine. Starch is digested in two
steps: First, an enzyme in the saliva and
pancreatic juice breaks the starch into molecules
called maltose; then an enzyme in the lining of
the small intestine (maltase) splits the maltose
into glucose molecules that can be absorbed into
the blood. Glucose is carried through the
bloodstream to the liver, where it is stored or
used to provide energy for the work of the body.
 Protein. Foods such as meat, eggs, and beans consist
of giant molecules of protein that must be digested by
enzymes before they can be used to build and repair
body tissues. An enzyme in the juice of the stomach
starts the digestion of swallowed protein. Further
digestion of the protein is completed in the small
intestine. Here, several enzymes from the pancreatic
juice and the lining of the intestine carry out the
breakdown of huge protein molecules into small
molecules called amino acids. These small molecules can
be absorbed from the hollow of the small intestine into
the blood and then be carried to all parts of the body to
build the walls and other parts of cells.
 Fats. Fat molecules are a rich source of energy for the
body. The first step in digestion of a fat such as butter is
to dissolve it into the watery content of the intestinal
cavity. The bile acids produced by the liver act as natural
detergents to dissolve fat in water and allow the
enzymes to break the large fat molecules into smaller
molecules, some of which are fatty acids and
cholesterol. The bile acids combine with the fatty acids
and cholesterol and help these molecules to move into
the cells of the mucosa. In these cells the small
molecules are formed back into large molecules, most of
which pass into vessels (called lymphatics) near the
intestine. These small vessels carry the reformed fat to
the veins of the chest, and the blood carries the fat to
storage depots in different parts of the body.
 Vitamins. Another vital part of our food that is
absorbed from the small intestine is the class of
chemicals we call vitamins. The two different
types of vitamins are classified by the fluid in
which they can be dissolved: water-soluble
vitamins (all the B vitamins and vitamin C) and
fat-soluble vitamins (vitamins A, D, and K).
HOW IS THE DIGESTIVE PROCESS
CONTROLLED?
The hormones that control digestion are gastrin, secretin, and
cholecystokinin (CCK):
 Gastrin causes the stomach to produce an acid for dissolving
and digesting some foods. It is also necessary for the normal
growth of the lining of the stomach, small intestine, and
colon.
 Secretin causes the pancreas to send out a digestive juice

that is rich in bicarbonate. It stimulates the stomach to
produce pepsin, an enzyme that digests protein, and it also
stimulates the liver to produce bile.
 CCK causes the pancreas to grow and to produce the

enzymes of pancreatic juice, and it causes the gallbladder to
empty.
NERVE REGULATORS
 Two types of nerves help to control the action of the

digestive system. Extrinsic (outside) nerves come to the
digestive organs from the unconscious part of the brain
or from the spinal cord. They release a chemical called
acetylcholine and another called adrenaline.
Acetylcholine causes the muscle of the digestive organs
to squeeze with more force and increase the "push" of
food and juice through the digestive tract. Acetylcholine
also causes the stomach and pancreas to produce more
digestive juice. Adrenaline relaxes the muscle of the
stomach and intestine and decreases the flow of blood
to these organs.
 Even more important, though, are the intrinsic (inside)
nerves, which make up a very dense network embedded
in the walls of the esophagus, stomach, small intestine,
and colon. The intrinsic nerves are triggered to act when
the walls of the hollow organs are stretched by food.
They release many different substances that speed up or
delay the movement of food and the production of juices
by the digestive organs.
DIGESTIVE DISORDERS
 The inflammation of the intestinal tract is the
most common ailment due to bacterial or viral
infections. The infections are also caused by the
parasites of the intestine like tape worm, round
worm, thread worm, hook worm, pin worm etc.
CONSTIPATION
 WHAT IS CONSTIPATION?
Constipation, costiveness, or
irregularity, is a condition of
the digestive system where a
person (or animal) experiences
hard feces that are difficult to
egest. It may be extremely
painful, and in severe cases
(fecal impaction) lead to
symptoms of bowel obstruction
 CAUSES AND TREATMENT:
Causes of constipation may be dietary, hormonal,
anatomical, a side effect of medications (e.g. some
painkillers), or an illness or disorder. Treatments
consist of changes in dietary and exercise habits,
the use of laxatives, and other medical
interventions depending on the underlying cause.
DIARRHOEA
 WHAT IS DIARRHOEA-Diarrhoea is loose, watery
stools. Diarrhoea can cause dehydration, which means
the body lacks enough fluid to function properly.
 CAUSE- Acute diarrhea is usually related to a bacterial,
viral, or parasitic infection. Chronic diarrhea is usually
related to functional disorders such as irritable bowel
syndrome or inflammatory bowel disease
 SYMPTOMS- Diarrhea may be accompanied by
cramping, abdominal pain, bloating, nausea, or an
urgent need to use the bathroom. Depending on the
cause, a person may have a fever or bloody stools
JAUNDICE
 Jaundice, also known as
icterus (attributive
adjective: "icteric"), is
yellowish discoloration of
the skin, comjuctiva (a
clear covering over the
sclera, or whites of the
eyes) and mucous
membranes caused by
hyperbilirubinemia
INDIGESTION
 WHAT IS INDIGESTION?
Indigestion is a
condition that is
frequently caused by
eating too fast, especially
by eating high-fat foods
quickly.
 CAUSES:
 Excessive acid accumulation in the
stomach.
 Over consumption of alcohol
 Overeating
 SYMPTOMS
 Pain or burning feeling in upper part of
the stomach
 Heartburn
 Nausea
 MANAGEMENT:
 Use of antacids
 Digestive enzymes capsule
 Activity modification
 Rest
PREPARED BY-
SHAMIM AKHTAR , M.N.
RENUKA
XI-A

Digestive System

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HUMAN DIGESTIVE

 The start of the process - the mouth: The digestive

 Digested molecules of food, as well as water and

 Secretin causes the pancreas to send out a digestive juice

 CCK causes the pancreas to grow and to produce the

 Two types of nerves help to control the action of the

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