Digestion and absorption of food

Digestion is the breakdown of complex food

substances into smaller parts which can be absorb into
the blood stream and be used by the body.
digestion
 Digestion
Digestion involves the breakdown of
carbohydrates to glucose, fats to
fatty acid and glycerol and protein
to amino acids.
Amino acids, glucose, fatty acids and
glycerol can all pass through the
walls of the small intestine into
the blood stream.
There are two types of digestion:
Mechanical – the use of the teeth and
walls of the intestine to break
down the food into a smaller
pieces, e.g. The teeth cutting up a
piece of meat.
Chemical – the use of enzymes to
break down food into a simpler
form, e.g. Starch to maltose.
 The teeth
The teeth are held firmly in the jawbone
where they are used to break down
food into smaller pieces. This increase
the rate at which food is broken down
by enzymes.
Different teeth perform different function.
The size and shape of the teeth determine
its function.
Canine dentition
Ingestion – the taking in of food into the
mouth.
The incisors are the teeth at the front of
the mouth. They are used for cutting
food.
The canine are long and pointy. They are
used to tear meat from bones.
The molars and premolars are know as
the cheek teeth. They are flat with
ridges used to grind and crush food.
Some animals have two sets of teeth.
Milk teeth which is the first set and
the permanent teeth which is the
final set.
 Structure of the teeth
The crown is the above the gum.
The neck is covered by the gum
The root is embedded in the jaw
bone.
The crown is covered with enamel
(the hardest substance made by
the body). The dentine makes up
most of the teeth and it is similar
to bone in toughness.
The pulp cavity supplies the teeth
with nourishment and sensitivity.
The nutrients enter through the
small root opening. The cells in
the pulp make more dentine.
The tooth is held in place by the
cementum.
 Tooth decay
• People who live on a natural
diet of raw fish and meat with
vegetables do not suffer from
tooth decay.
• Refined sugar and sweet sticky
foods promote tooth decay. If
food remains on the tooth
overnight, bacteria will act on
the food and produce acids that
destroy( dissolve) the enamel.
 Periodontal diseases
Bleeding and inflammation of the gums
can be caused by incorrect brushing
and an accumulation of food on the
teeth.
Saliva, mucus, food and bacteria forms a
layer over the teeth and produces
plaque. Plaque is removed with
dental floss, correct brushing and
mouthwash. Fresh plaque is made
daily therefore brushing should be
done daily.
Regular visits to the dentist to remove
plaque and decaying portions of the
teeth will help reduce or prevent
tooth decay.
Regular brushing of the teeth at night
and after each meal is the most
common way of preventing tooth
decay.
Periodontal disease
 Preventing tooth decay
• The diet must contain calcium,
phosphorus and vitamin D for
healthy tooth growth. These
nutrients are very important to
pregnant women and young
children. Vitamin C is also important
to prevent tooth damage by scurvy.

• Fluoride reduces tooth decay by

hardening the enamel and making it
more decay resistant. Fluoride can
be placed in the tooth past or
drinking water.
 Digestion in the mouth
Chemical and mechanical digestion
begins in the mouth.
The teeth break down large food
particles into smaller ones.
Saliva moistens the food and softens it,
making it easier to swallow.
Salivary amylase ( an enzyme) breaks
down starch to maltose.
The digestive enzymes speed up the rate
at which food is digested
 Enzymes
Enzymes work best at certain pH, e.g. Acidic,
neutral or alkaline.
Enzymes work best at certain temperatures,
e.g. 37⁰C in humans.
Enzymes become inactive at high
temperatures.
Enzymes usually work on one substrate, e.g.
Salivary amylase will digest only starch.
Enzymes break down large amounts of
substrate.
Enzymes are not changed at the end of a
reaction.
Enzymes are sensitive to poisons.
 The alimentary canal
The alimentary canal runs
from the mouth to the
anus. Several glands , liver,
pancreas and salivary
glands secrete enzymes in
the alimentary canal.
Liver makes bile that is used
to emulsify fat.
The pancreas produce
pancreatic amylase – this is
breaks down starch in the
duodenum to maltose.
trypsin- breaks down protein
in the duodenum to
dipeptides.
 Swallowing
Food passes from the
mouth to the stomach
during swallowing.
The food is rolled in a
ball(bolus) and pushed
to the back of the
mouth down the
oesophagus. The
trachea is closed by the
epiglottis to prevent
food from going into
the lungs.
 Peristalsis
The walls of the alimentary canal have circular
and longitudinal muscles.
These muscles allow for food to move along the
intestine. Peristalsis takes place when there
is a lot of dietary fibre in the food we eat.
Dietary fibre prevents constipation.
Food enters the stomach from the oesophagus.
The pyloric sphincter retains the food in the
stomach.
 The stomach
Food stays in the stomach for 1 to 3
hours. Muscles contract to churn
food and mix with gastric juice
(hydrochloric acid) containing
pepsin and rennin.
Hydrochloric acid works kill bacteria
that came in with the food and
to make the stomach
environment acidic so that
pepsin can work to break down
protein to polypeptides then to
peptones. Rennin is important in
young babies where it is needed
to clot milk.
 The duodenum
The duodenum is the first part of the
small intestine. The small intestine
can be up to 8 meters long. Bile,
pancreatic juice and intestinal juice is
poured on the food in the small
intestine.
Bile is made in the liver and stored in the
gall bladder. It contains sodium
bicarbonate that neutralizes the acids
that come in from the stomach.
The enzymes in the stomach require an
alkaline environment to work
effectively. Bile contains salts that
help to emulsify fats.
 Pancreatic juice
The pancreatic juice is alkaline and
passes down into the duodenum from
the pancreas.
Amylase, lipase and trypsin are found in
pancreatic juice.
Amylase continues the break down of
starch to maltose.
Lipase breaks down emulsified fats to
fatty acids and glycerol.
Trypsin breaks up peptones into
peptides.

The intestinal glands in the intestinal

walls produce intestinal juice that
contains maltase & peptidase.
Maltase breaks down maltose to glucose.
Peptidase break down peptides to amino
acids.
 Ileum
The most important function of the ileum is
absorption. The digested food passes
through the walls of the intestine into the
blood stream.
The ileum has villi that increase the area over
which food is absorbed. The ileum is also
very long thus allowing food enough time
to be absorbed. Nutrients move into the
blood stream by diffusion and active
transport.
Structure Feature Function

Villus Tiny finger-like projections Very large surface area for

absorption

Micro-villi Brush-like tufts only visible with

electron microscope

Lacteal Passes fats to the lymph vessels Absorbs fatty acids and glycerol

Blood capillaries Lead to hepatic portal vein Absorb glucose and amino acids

Epithelium Single cell layer Allows diffusion of digested

food

Mucus cells In epithelium For food passage

Muscular wall Circular and longitudinal For peristalsis

 End products of digestion
The glucose and amino acids
travel from the villi in the
blood plasma along hepatic
portal vein leading to the liver.
The amino acids cannot be stored
and are used in the cells to
make protein. the build up of
organelles in the protoplasm is
called assimilation.
Amino acids not used in the cells
are converted to glucose in
the liver by deamination. This
is done by removing the
nitrogen from the protein
after which it is excreted as
urea in the urine.
The glucose is carried to the cells where it is
used to produce energy. Excess glucose is
converted to glycogen and stored in the
muscles and liver.
Fatty acids and glycerol are converted to fat
and transported in the lymph vessels to the
neck where it goes into the blood stream.
Fats may be used to provide energy or
stored under the skin.
.
 The colon ( large intestine)
The colon reabsorbs water and salts
from the undigested food so that
it is not lost from the body. The
rest that is left is called faeces.
Undigested food including dietary
fibre make up the bulk of the
faeces. Faeces are egested
because the contents were not
made in or was a part of the body.
However bile has been made in
the body and it is said to be
excreted.
Bacteria present in the faeces may
digest some of the fibre while
others make vitamin K.
Constipation is the inability to pass
faeces.
Diarrhoea is the constant defecation of
faeces in a liquid form. Water is
normally loss from the body. It is
important to replace that water which
was lost.
Gastroenteritis is the inflammation of the
intestine. This is often caused by
bacterial or viral activity. These germs
enter into the intestine through
unhygeinically prepared food.
 Question time
What causes tooth decay by damaging the enamel?
What is the hardest part of the tooth?
What is the function of Roughage?
If the bile duct becomes blocked what would suffer the most?
What is the end product of protein digestion?
The breaking down of protein to form urea is called?
What is the main purpose of the villi folds?
What makes up the bulk of the faeces?
The action of pancreatic juice on food leaving the stomach is to help
Describe 3 ways in which you can keep your teeth healthy.
What is the end product of starch digestion? Explain how the end product is used in
the muscle cells and liver cells.
Define : ingestion, digestion, absorption and assimilation.
Why is it difficult to eat a lot of dry biscuits quickly?
List what happens to the protein in meat from it enters the mouth until it is absorbed.
Explain the functions of each part of the villus.