The Human Digestive System

The Human Digestive System
Regions of the Digestive System can be

divided into two main parts
• 1. Alimentary tract- composed of the
mouth, pharynx, esophagus,
stomach, small intestine, large
intestine, rectum and anus
• 2. Accessory organs- liver, gall
bladder and pancreas
• What has happened to the food you ate
today?
• Esophagus
• Stomach
• Small Intestine
• Large Intestine
• Liver
• Gall Bladder
• Pancreas
In the Mouth
• Digestion actually begins in the mouth.
• Mechanical Digestion: The teeth break the food
into smaller pieces, and the tongue moves the
pieces around. Then Chemical Digestion occurs
with saliva. Saliva has the enzyme Amylase
which starts the breakdown of carbohydrates.
• Bolus- mass of food that is easier to swallow
that is being moistened and lubricated by saliva
• Then swallow, and the journey begins!
Different types of teeth
1. Canines- are used for tearing

2. Incisors- are used for cutting
3. Premolars and Molars- are used for grinding
1. MASTICATION- it is accomplished by our
teeth which cut, tear, and crush the food.
2. DEGLUTINATION- or swallowing, it involves
the movement of food from mouth to the
stomach
3. When the food has been chewed, the bolus is
pushed by the tongue against the palate,
forcing it to move toward the pharynx and
esophagus
Pharynx
• As food passes through the pharynx, the
epiglottis is tipped backward, preventing the
food’s passage to the larynx.
• The wavelike muscular contraction and
relaxation of the esophagus, which is called
peristalsis, propels the bolus to the stomach.
1. Enzymes are biological catalysts that are
needed for all chemical reactions in the
body. Each digestive enzyme is specific for
the breakdown (through hydrolysis) of food.
2. Remember Enzymes work due to the Lock
and Key Theory.
3. (each enzyme has a specific shape to fit with
a specific substrate)
Esophagus
1. About 10” long or 25 cm long(approximately)
2. Moves food from the throat to the stomach.
1. The muscle movement is called peristalsis. (series of
wave like muscle contractions to move food)
3. Heartburn is when acid from the stomach gets in
here.
Stomach
1. Stores the food you eat, breaks it down into
tiny pieces. This is mechanical digestion.
2. Churn: the stomach moves around so food
breaks into smaller pieces.
Stomach
1. It serves as a temporary storage
area for food
2. It also breaks down food and
serves as the mixing chamber for
ingested food.
Stomach
• Mixes food with digestive juices for chemical digestion
• Acid in the stomach kills bacteria.
• Hydrochloric acid(HCl) and pepsin(an enzyme present in the
stomach during digestion), digest proteins forming small
chains of amino acids
• It can stretch and shrink.
• This is the first site of protein digestion.
• The enzyme protease breaks down proteins into amino acids.
• Chyme: the semifluid acidic mixture that is partially digested.
This chyme passes into the small intestines for further
digestion and absorption.
Small Intestine
• Small intestines are roughly 22 feet long.
“Small” refers to its diameter, not its length.
• Insides are coated with little ‘fingers’ called Villi
to increase surface area.
• Nutrients from the food pass into the
bloodstream diffuses through the small
intestine walls.
• Lipids are first digested here by lipase (enzyme)
Small Intestine (villi)
1. The Villi are the site of nutrient absorption
(diffusion into the blood stream) and the end
of digestion.
Three sections of small intestine
Three sections of small intestine
1. Duodenum-first part of the small intestine
approximately 25 cm long. The rest of the
digestion occurs in this part
• It is where remaining carbohydrates and
proteins are broken down
2. Jejunum
3. Ileum
*Respectively, they perform critical function of
absorbing nutrients and transferring them to the
circulating blood
*Secretions from the mucosal layer of the
intestine lubricate and protect its lining from the
acidic chyme and other digestive enzymes
Large Intestine
• About 5 feet long.
• Accepts what small intestines don’t absorb.
• Main Function: Absorbs water and minerals
from the waste matter.
Colon and Anus
• Colon: Large intestine
• Waste matter is processed and held for
elimination
* Rectum: the most distal segment of the large
intestine and has an important role as a temporary
storage of feces
• Anus: opening at the end of the digestive system
where solid waste(feces) leaves the
body(defecation).
Accessory Organs
• 1. LIVER
• 2. GALL BLADDER
• 3. PANCREAS
Liver (2 Functions)
• Function 1. Directly affects digestion by producing
bile.
– Bile has digestive enzymes lipase and releases
them into the small intestines for digestion.
• Function 2. Processes nutrients in the blood, filters
out toxins and waste.
• Is often called the body’s energy factory.
• Drinking alcohol, drugs, or taking too many
medications damages the liver.
Liver
Gall Bladder
1. Stores bile from the liver until it is needed by
the small intestine
2. Delivers bile when food is digested. (contains
lipase to digests lipids)
3. Fatty diets can cause gallstones.
4. You can live without a gallbladder.t is a
5. It is a green muscular sac that is attached to
the liver
Pancreas
• Produces compounds to digest fats and proteins.
• Neutralizes acids that enter small intestine.
• Regulates blood sugar by producing insulin.
• If it doesn’t work right you develop diabetes.
* Pancreas produces bicarbonates that neutralize stomach acids and protect
the lining of the small intestine
Endoscopy
Endoscopy
• It is a diagnostic procedure used to examine a
patient’s digestive tract,
• Using an endoscope(a flexible tube with a light source
and camera connected to it).
• An endoscopist is able to get an image of the digestive
tract on a monitor.
• During the procedure, an endoscope is passed
through the mouth, throat, and esophagus, allowing
views of the esophagus, stomach, and upper part of
the small intestine
• This procedure is important because it can
detect disease early
• Early detection of any disease along the
digestive tract increases the probability of
their treatment
Fun Facts
• HOW LONG ARE YOUR INTESTINES? At least 25
feet in an adult. Be glad you're not a full-
grown horse -- their coiled-up intestines are
89 feet long!
• Food drying up and hanging out in the large
intestine can last 18 hours to 2 days!
• In your lifetime, your digestive system may
handle about 50 tons of food!
OK, now it's...
• QUIZ TIME
What is the name of each colored organ:
1. Green: Esophagus
2. Red: Stomach
3. Pink: Small Intestine
4. Brown: Large Intestine
5. Purple: Liver
6. Green: Gallbladder
7. Yellow: Pancreas

The Human Digestive System

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The Human Digestive System

Regions of the Digestive System can be

1. Canines- are used for tearing

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