STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION

OF DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
LAGUNA COLLEGE OF BUSINESS AND ARTS
Presented by: Group 1
 OBJECTIVES
TO IDENTIFY THE TO IDENTIFY THE
DIFFERENT KINDS OF COORDINATED
NUTRIENTS AND RELATE FUNCTIONS OF THE
THEN TO THEIR ORGANS OF THE
FUNCTION. DIGESTIVE SYSTEM.

TO IDENTIFY THE
TO EXPLAIN OF THE ROLE DIFFERENT DISEASES IN
OF ENERGY LIFE. THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM.
WHAT IS FOOD?
•Food is one of our basic needs.
•Food is a nourishing substance that we take
into our bodies through eating and drinking.
•Food is packed with nutrients that provide
energy, promote growth, and sustain life.

Why food is important to daily life?

Because it nourishes us with nutrients such
as proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, and
other essential nutrients that help us to live a
healthy life and avoid diseases.
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
•What is Digestive System?
Your digestive system is made up of the gastrointestinal
(GI) tract and your liver, pancreas, and gallbladder. The GI
tract is a series of hollow organs that are connected from
your mouth to your anus. The organs that make up your GI
tract, in the order that they are connected, include your
mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine,
and anus.

•What does Digestive System Do?

Your digestive system is uniquely constructed to do its job
of turning your food into the nutrients and energy you
need to survive. And when it’s done with that, it handily
packages your solid waste, or stool, for disposal when you
have a bowel movement.
•Why is digestion important?
Digestion is important because your body needs nutrients from the food you
eat and the liquids you drink to stay healthy and function properly. Nutrients
include carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, and water. Your
digestive system breaks down and absorbs nutrients from the food and liquids
you consume to use for important things like energy, growth, and repairing
cells.

•What organs make up the digestive system?

The main organs that make up the digestive system (in order of their function)
are the mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, rectum,
and anus. Helping them along the way are the pancreas, gall bladder, and liver.
Here’s how these organs work together in your digestive system.
 THE MOUTH
•Mouth
The mouth is the beginning of the digestive tract. In fact,
digestion starts before you even take a bite. Your salivary glands
get active as you see and smell that pasta dish or warm bread.
After you start eating, you chew your food into pieces that are
more easily digested. Your saliva mixes with the food to begin to
break it down into a form your body can absorb and use. When
you swallow, your tongue passes the food into your throat and
into your esophagus.
THE PHARYNX
Pharynx Also called the throat, the
pharynx is the portion of the digestive
tract that receives the food from your
mouth. Branching off the pharynx is the
esophagus, which carries food to the
stomach, and the trachea or windpipe,
which carries air to the lungs.
 THE ESOPHAGUS
•Esophagus
Esophagus is Located in your throat near your trachea (windpipe), the
esophagus receives food from your mouth when you swallow. The epiglottis is
a small flap that folds over your windpipe as you swallow to prevent you from
choking (when food goes into your windpipe). A series of muscular
contractions within the esophagus called peristalsis delivers food to your
stomach. But first a ring-like muscle at the bottom of your esophagus called
the lower esophageal sphincter has to relax to let the food in. The sphincter
then contracts and prevents the contents of the stomach from flowing back
into the esophagus. (When it doesn’t and these contents flow back into the
esophagus, you may experience acid reflux or heartburn.
THE STOMACH
AND SMALL
INTESTINE
• The stomach – is a muscular, expandable organ located on the left side of the upper
abdomen. The stomach contains glands that secrete acid and enzymes that continue the
digestion of the food. The stomach muscles contract periodically to mix and churn the
food. And Stomach is a hollow organ, or "container," that holds food while it is being
mixed with stomach enzymes. These enzymes continue the process of breaking down
food into a usable form. Cells in the lining of your stomach secrete strong acids and
powerful enzymes that are responsible for the breakdown process. When the contents
of the stomach are processed enough, they’re released into the small intestine.

• The inner lining of the stomach has glands that secrete gastric juices and mucus that
help enhance the digestion process. This gastric juice is composed of hydrochloric acid
(HCI) and a digestive enzyme called pepsin.

Hydrochloric acid – a strong acid that has a pH between levels 1 and 2. This is enough to
kill most of the microorganisms present in the food.
• The enzyme pepsin – this breaks down the other types of protein into simpler forms called amino
acids and peptides.

Rugae – helps expand the surface area of the stomach so it can accommodate more food, such as 0.9
liter of food.

Chyme – a thick, semi-liquid food mass.

Stomach peristalsis helps the chyme to be pushed into the muscular valve of the small intestine, which
is called pyloric sphincter.

•Small intestine Made up of three segments — the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum — the small
intestine is a 22-foot long muscular tube that breaks down food using enzymes released by the
pancreas and bile from the liver. Peristalsis also works in this organ, moving food through and mixing it
with digestive juices from the pancreas and liver. The duodenum is the first segment of the small
intestine. It’s largely responsible for the continuous breaking-down process. The jejunum and ileum
lower in the intestine are mainly responsible for the absorption of nutrients into the bloodstream.
Contents of the small intestine start out semi-solid and end in a liquid form after passing through the
organ. Water, bile, enzymes and mucus contribute to the change in consistency. Once the nutrients
have been absorbed and the leftover-food residue liquid has passed through the small intestine, it then
moves on to the large intestine (colon).
ACCESSORY
ORGANS OF
THE DIGESTIVE
SYSTEM
Accessory organs of the digestive system work with the digestive tract organs to break down the food. They
also secrete substances needed for the chemical digestion of food, but the food does not pass through them
as it is being digested.

•The pancreas – a long, narrow gland that stretches from the spleen to about halfway through the
duodenum. It is known for its secretion of pancreatic juice, which is a mixture of water, digestive enzymes,
bicarbonates, and electrolytes.

There are three enzymes in the pancreatic juice that play important functions – the pancreatic amylase, the
trypsin (or proteolytic enzyme), and the lipase.

•The pancreatic amylase – changes starch and glycogen into maltose, a disaccharide.

Disaccharides are broken down into monosaccharides by the enzymes called maltases, sucrases, and
lactases, which are synthesized at the lining of the small intestines.

•The trypsin or proteolytic enzyme – an active enzyme that digests the proteins from food. This enzyme is
produced by the pancreas in an inactive form called trypsinogen.

Peptidases – enzymes that break down the peptides into single amino acids.
LIVER
•Liver The liver has many functions, but its main job within the digestive system is to process
the nutrients absorbed from the small intestine. Bile from the liver secreted into the small
intestine also plays an important role in digesting fat and some vitamins. The liver is your
body's chemical "factory." It takes the raw materials absorbed by the intestine and makes all
the various chemicals your body needs to function. The liver also detoxifies potentially
harmful chemicals. It breaks down and secretes many drugs that can be toxic to your body.

•The liver – the largest organ of the body in terms of mass and also the largest gland. It
continuously produces bile, which is a yellowish-brown fluid that aids chemical digestion by
helping the small intestine with the emulsification and digestion of lipids (fats).

Emulsification – a process when the large lipid globules are broken down into several small
lipid globules.
GALLBLADER
•The gallbladder stores and concentrates bile from the liver, and
then releases it into the duodenum in the small intestine to help
absorb and digest fats. And The gallbladder a green, pear shaped sac
that is approximately 10 cm long. It stores and concentrates excess
bile. Gallbladder releases bile only when needed in the small
intestine.
 THE LARGE
INTESTINE OR
COLON
 The Large Intestine or Colon

There are food substances that are not absorbed by the body. These substances are the
leftover waste that leaves the upper gastrointestinal tract or the upper Gl tract.

The upper gastrointestinal tract or the upper Gl tract

Consists of the mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, and anus

The large intestine or colon is shorter than but wider than the small intestine. It is
approximately 1.5 m long and 7 cm wide. It has four parts- ascending colon, transverse
colon, descending colon, and sigmoid colon.

Ascending colon- The ascending colon is the first section. It is located in the digestive tract
between the end of the small intestine and the second part of the colon.
Transverse colon- The transverse colon is a segment of the large intestine that passes
horizontally across the abdomen and sits beneath other organs in the abdominal cavity.
It is the longest and most mobile part of the colon.

Descending colon- the part of the large intestine that passes downward on the left side
of the abdomen toward the rectum.

Sigmoid colon- sigmoid colon, a terminal section of the large intestine that connects the
descending colon to the rectum; its function is to store fecal wastes until they are ready
to leave the body. The sigmoid colon derives its name from the fact that it is curved in
the form of an S.

Digestion does not happen in the Large Intestine. The Large Intestine is responsible for
the reabsorption of water and mineral salts and temporarily stores their undigested
food. This undigested food from the colon becomes stool or feces that are temporarily
stored in the rectum.
 COLON
•The colon is responsible for processing waste so that emptying your bowels is easy and
convenient. It’s a 6-foot long muscular tube that connects the small intestine to the rectum.
The colon is made up of the cecum, the ascending (right) colon, the transverse (across)
colon, the descending (left) colon, and the sigmoid colon, which connects to the rectum.
Stool, or waste left over from the digestive process, is passed through the colon using
peristalsis, first in a liquid state and ultimately in a solid form. As stool passes through the
colon, water is removed. The stool is stored in the sigmoid (S-shaped) colon until a "mass
movement" empties it into the rectum once or twice a day. It normally takes about 36 hours
for stool to get through the colon. The stool itself is mostly food debris and bacteria. These
“good” bacteria perform several useful functions, such as synthesizing various vitamins,
processing waste products, and food particles, and protecting against harmful bacteria.
When the descending colon becomes full of stool, or feces, it empties its contents into the
rectum to begin the process of elimination (a bowel movement).
 RECTUM
The Rectum is an expandable storage organ of undigested food. On the other hand,
the Anal sphincter controls the releasing or holding of the stool for a short period.
The anus is an opening where the stool or feces exits the body. The rectum is a
straight, 8-inch chamber that connects the colon to the anus. The rectum's job is to
receive stool from the colon, let you know that there is stool to be evacuated
(pooped out) and to hold the stool until evacuation happens. When anything (gas or
stool) comes into the rectum, sensors send a message to the brain. The brain then
decides if the rectal contents can be released or not. If they can, the sphincters relax
and the rectum contracts, disposing its contents. If the contents cannot be disposed,
the sphincter contracts and the rectum accommodates so that the sensation
temporarily goes away.
THE APPENDIX
AND CECUM
The cecum is a blindside
passage at the beginning of the
large intestine. It hangs
downward in the right iliac
fossa, lying almost free of
peritoneal attachments. Here's
the appendix, sometimes called
the vermiform appendix. The
appendix opens into the cecum
below the ileocecal valve.
THE APPENDIX
AND CECUM
the cecum is located
intraperitoneally in the right
lower abdomen and has a
length of 5 to 7 cm. However,
due to an incomplete rotation
of the umbilical loop during
embryogenesis it may lie quite
variably. Therefore clinically,
one differentiates between
three important variations
THE STAGE OF
DIGESTION
THE STAGE OF DIGESTION
The first of these processes, ingestion, refers to the
entry of food into the alimentary canal through the
mouth. The food is chewed and mixed with saliva,
which contains enzymes that begin breaking down
the carbohydrates in the food plus some lipid
digestion via lingual lipase. Chewing increases the
surface area of the food and allows an
appropriately sized bolus to be produced.
•Digestion- It is the breakdown of large insoluble food molecules into small water-soluble food
molecules so that they can be absorbed into the watery blood plasma. In certain organisms, these
smaller substances are absorbed through the small intestine into the bloodstream. There are two
digestion processes, mechanical digestion, and chemical digestion.

•Mechanical digestion — food is physically broken into smaller parts. For instance, by chewing.

•Chemical digestion — food is broken down by acids and enzymes into its basic units.

•Why is chemical and mechanical digestion important to our body?

•Chemical digestion is a vital part of the digestive process. Without it, your body wouldn't be able to
absorb nutrients from the foods you eat.

•Mechanical digestion involves physical movements, such as chewing and muscle contractions,
chemical digestion uses enzymes to break down food.
•Absorption- It is the process of absorption of vitamins, minerals, and other
chemicals from food as part of the nutrition of an organism. Most absorption
process happens in the jejunum and the ileum sections of the small intestine.

•Hydrolysis- A chemical process of decomposition involving the splitting of a

bond and the addition of the hydrogen cation and the hydroxide anion of water.
The term is used broadly for substitution, elimination, and solvation reactions in
which water is the nucleophile.

•Assimilation- Is the movement of digested food molecules into the cells of the
body where they are used. For example: lucose is used in respiration to provide
energy, photosynthesis, nitrogen fixation, and the absorption of nutrients after
digestion into the living tissue.
•Elimination- Is the removal of unwanted materials out of the body. However, it mainly
refers to the removal of the undigested materials through the anus. Therefore, it is the final
step of digestion.

•Why is the elimination important?

It’s important because one of the major ways the human body maintains homeostasis. It
also helps prevent damage to the body.
•Excretion- This is the main pathway of the elimination of metabolic wastes out of the
body. Here, the main organs that take part in the excretion process include kidneys, lungs,
and skin.

•Also, urine is the main medium of excretion. Explaining this further; several biochemical
reactions occur in the body, giving rise to various waste products, including carbon dioxide,
ammonia, guanine, creatine, urea, and uric acid. However, the accumulation of wastes
inside the body is harmful. Therefore, in animals, the liver and kidneys clear many of the
wastes products into urine and feces.
ESSENTIAL
NUTRIENTS
NEEDED BY THE
BODY
Essential nutrients are compounds that the body can’t make or can’t make in
sufficient quantity. According to the World Health Organization, these nutrients
must come from food, and they’re vital for disease prevention, growth, and good
health.
While there are many essential nutrients, they can be broken into two
categories: macronutrients and micronutrients.
Macronutrients are eaten in large amounts and include the primary building
blocks of your diet — protein, carbohydrates, and fat — which provide your body
with energy.
Vitamins and minerals are micronutrients, and small doses go a long way. There
are six main groups of essential micronutrients and macronutrients.
The six essential nutrients are protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals,
and water.
THE
MACRONUTRIENTS-
CARBOHYDRATES,
PROTEINS, AND
FATS AND OILS
PROTEIN
Protein is having its moment, and not just in the workout community. But all of the hype is for a good reason.
Protein is essential for good health.

Protein provides the building blocks of the body, and not just for muscle. Every cell, from bone to skin to hair,
contains protein.

A startling 16 percent of the average person’s body weight is from protein. Protein is used primarily for growth,
health, and body maintenance.

All of your hormones, antibodies and other important substances are composed of protein. Protein is not used to
fuel the body unless necessary.

Proteins are made of different amino acids. While the body can create some amino acids on its own, many
essential amino acids canonly come from food. You need a variety of amino acids for your body to function
properly.

The good news is that you don’t need to eat all of the amino acids at once. Your body can create complete
proteins from the foods you eat throughout the day.
CARBOHYDRATES
Don’t let the low-carb craze fool you.
Carbohydrates are necessary for a healthy
body. Carbs fuel your body, especially your
central nervous system, and brain, and protect
against disease.

Carbohydrates should make up 45 to 65

percent of your total daily calories
 FATS
Fats often get a bad rap, but recent research has shown that healthy fats are an important part of a
healthy diet.
Fat supports many of your body’s functions such as vitamin and mineral absorption, blood clotting,
building cells, and muscle movement.
Yes, fat is high in calories, but those calories are an important energy source for your body.
Fats – are macronutrients that also provide energy, especially among young children who need
energy-rich foods. They are composed of fatty acids and glycerol.

Fatty acids are made up of a long chain of carbon atoms with one acidic group, hence the term of
acids.

Triglycerides – fats consist of three fatty acids and glycerol.

Fats are also synthesized hormones and other substances needed for the body’s activities. Fats give
the dishes a more satisfying taste because they concentrate smells and flavors in food, and they give
food a smooth, creamy texture.
 FATS
Excess fats are stored in the abdomen (omental fat) and under the skin (subcutaneous fat) for
future use. The body may also reserve excess fats in the blood, vessels, and within organs,
resulting in blood flow blockage and damage in the organ that can cause serious health
conditions.

Saturated Fats - are commonly referred to as “unhealthy fats”. They are solid at room
temperature. The indication of how saturated the fat molecules are is mostly derived from the
number of hydrogen atoms the fatty acid has. The more hydrogen atoms are present, the more
saturated the fatty acids are.

Unsaturated fats – are liquid under room temperature and are commonly referred to as the
“healthier version” of fat.
THE
MICRONUTRIENTS-
VITAMINS AND
MINERALS
 VITAMINS
Vitamins are vital for warding off disease and staying healthy. The body needs
these micronutrients to support its functions. There are 13 essential vitamins that
the body needs to function properly, including vitamins A, C, B6, and D.
Each vitamin plays an important role in the body, and not getting enough of them
can cause health problems and disease. Many Americans do not get enough of
many essential vitamins. Vitamins are essential for healthy vision, skin, and bones.
Vitamins may lower the risk of lung and prostate cancer, and they’re powerful
antioxidants. Vitamins like vitamin C boost the immune system and help the body
heal.
 MINERALS
Much like vitamins, minerals help support the body. They’re essential for many
body functions, including building strong bones and teeth, regulating your
metabolism, and staying properly hydrated. Some of the most common minerals
are calcium, iron, and zinc. In addition to strengthening bones, calcium helps with
nerve signal transmission, maintaining healthy blood pressure, and muscle
contraction and relaxation. Iron supports your red blood cells and hormone
creation, while zinc boosts your immune system and wound healing.
 WATER
You can go for weeks without food, but you can’t last more than a few
days without water. Water is crucial for every system in your body. It’s also
the main thing you are made of. About 62 percent of your body weight is
water.
Water improves your brain function and mood. It acts as a shock absorber
and a lubricant in the body. It also helps flush out toxins, carry nutrients to
cells, hydrate the body, and prevent constipation.
FUN FACT 101
The average person produces 2 pints of saliva every day. That is 32 ounces or 2 cans of soda.

The muscles in your esophagus act like a giant wave. That is what moves food or drinks
down to your stomach. This wave action is called peristalsis.

The second part of your small intestine is called the jejunum.

Your body can move your food through the digestive system even while you are standing
on your head. It is not connected to gravity because it works with muscles.

You know those laundry detergents you hear advertised that have enzymes to remove
stains? Some of those enzymes are the same as those found in your digestive system.
THANK YOU FOR
LISTENING!