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### O Level Notes - Human Digestive System

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29 views

### O Level Notes - Human Digestive System

Uploaded by

boyanesh
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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### O Level Notes: Human Digestive System

#### Overview
The human digestive system is a complex series of organs and glands that processes food. It
involves the breakdown of food into nutrients, which the body uses for energy, growth, and cell
repair.

#### Major Components

1. **Mouth**
- **Teeth:** Mechanical digestion begins with the teeth breaking down food into smaller
pieces.
- **Saliva:** Produced by salivary glands, it contains the enzyme amylase that starts the
chemical digestion of starches.

2. **Esophagus**
- A muscular tube connecting the throat (pharynx) with the stomach.
- **Peristalsis:** Rhythmic contractions of muscles that push food toward the stomach.

3. **Stomach**
- **Mechanical digestion:** Churning action mixes food with gastric juices.
- **Gastric juices:** Contain hydrochloric acid and the enzyme pepsin which digests proteins.
- **Mucus:** Protects the stomach lining from acid.

4. **Small Intestine**
- Divided into three parts: duodenum, jejunum, and ileum.
- **Duodenum:** Receives bile from the liver and gallbladder and pancreatic juice from the
pancreas. Most chemical digestion occurs here.
- **Jejunum and Ileum:** Absorption of nutrients into the bloodstream.
- **Villi and Microvilli:** Increase surface area for absorption.

5. **Liver**
- Produces bile which emulsifies fats, breaking them into smaller droplets for easier digestion.
- Detoxifies various metabolites, synthesizes proteins, and produces biochemicals necessary
for digestion.

6. **Gallbladder**
- Stores and concentrates bile, releasing it into the duodenum via the bile duct.

7. **Pancreas**
- Produces digestive enzymes (amylase, protease, lipase) and bicarbonate, which are
released into the small intestine.

8. **Large Intestine**
- **Cecum:** First part of the large intestine.
- **Colon:** Absorbs water and salts from the material that has not been digested as food.
- **Rectum:** Stores feces before they are expelled from the body.
- **Anus:** The opening at the end of the digestive tract where feces leave the body.

#### Digestion Process

1. **Ingestion**
- Taking in food through the mouth.

2. **Propulsion**
- Swallowing (voluntary) and peristalsis (involuntary) move food through the digestive tract.

3. **Mechanical Digestion**
- Physical breakdown of food (e.g., chewing, stomach churning).

4. **Chemical Digestion**
- Breakdown of food by enzymes into simpler molecules.

5. **Absorption**
- Transport of nutrients from the lumen of the GI tract into the blood or lymph.

6. **Defecation**
- Elimination of indigestible substances as feces.

#### Key Enzymes and Their Functions

- **Amylase:** Breaks down carbohydrates into simple sugars. Found in saliva and pancreatic
juice.
- **Pepsin:** Breaks down proteins into peptides. Found in the stomach.
- **Lipase:** Breaks down fats into fatty acids and glycerol. Found in pancreatic juice.
- **Proteases:** Break down proteins into amino acids. Found in the stomach (pepsin) and small

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