Scribd
Upload
9 views

Digestive system - reference.

The human digestive system involves the processes of ingestion, digestion, absorption, assimilation, and egestion of food. Digestion occurs in the alimentary canal, which includes organs such as the mouth, oesophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, and anus, along with associated glands like the salivary glands, liver, and pancreas. Each organ has specific functions, with enzymes playing a crucial role in breaking down food into absorbable nutrients, which are then utilized by the body for energy, growth, and repair.

Uploaded by

sridharahimanshu
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
9 views

Digestive system - reference.

The human digestive system involves the processes of ingestion, digestion, absorption, assimilation, and egestion of food. Digestion occurs in the alimentary canal, which includes organs such as the mouth, oesophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, and anus, along with associated glands like the salivary glands, liver, and pancreas. Each organ has specific functions, with enzymes playing a crucial role in breaking down food into absorbable nutrients, which are then utilized by the body for energy, growth, and repair.

Uploaded by

sridharahimanshu
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 4

HUMAN DIGESTIVE SYSTEM

Define the process of ingestion, digestion, absorption, assimilation and egestion


of food in humans
Ingestion: Intake of food in to the mouth
Digestion: Break down of complex food materials in to simple absorbable
materials. There are two types of digestion
 Mechanical digestion – physical breakdown of food by teeth and churning
movement of stomach.
 Chemical digestion – involves chemical breakdown of food using enzymes.
Absorption: The movement of digested materials in to the blood through villi.
Assimilation: The process involves the utilization of the absorbed food. It is taken
by the body cells and is used for energy, growth, and repair.
Egestion: Removal of undigested materials from the body in the form of faeces

Human Digestive system:

The process of digestion starts in the mouth. Alimentary canal is a long, muscular
and coiled tube. It starts from the mouth and ends in Anus. The different organs
of Alimentary canal are as follows:

 Mouth and Buccal cavity


 Oesophagus
 Stomach
 Small intestine
 Large intestine
 Anus

Associated with the alimentary


canal are some glands. These are:

 Salivary Gland
 Liver
 Pancreas
Describe the function of each organ:
Mouth: The mouth forms the entry of the alimentary canal. The ingestion and
digestion of food starts in the mouth. It contains the tongue, teeth and Salivary
glands.
Food is mixed with saliva with the help of tongue to form food bolus.
Teeth help in physical breakdown of food and breakdown of starch by salivary
amylase (Ptyalin).
Salivary glands: Produce saliva, which contains the enzyme amylase that help in
digestion of starch. It also moistens the food and make it soft to be swallowed
easily.
Pharynx:
Mouth cavity leads into the pharynx. Digestive tract and respiratory tract cross
each other at pharynx. Thus, it receives food from the
mouth and air from the nose. Epiglottis prevents the
entry of food into the trachea (windpipe).
Oesophagus: It connects the mouth cavity with the
stomach .Food moves by the process of peristalsis.
PERISTALSIS: Rhythmic muscular contractions in
oesophagus that push the food towards stomach

Stomach: The muscular bag lying in the upper


abdomen. The contraction and relaxation of stomach
walls help in the mechanical digestion of food. While
churning, the food is mixed with gastric juices, which
are rich in hydrochloric acid. Hydrochloric acid kills
the bacteria present in the food. Gastric juice contains the enzyme pepsin for the
digestion of proteins.

Small intestine: The long coiled tube, which helps in digestion of fats, proteins
and starch. It also absorbs the digested food and passes into the blood vessels.
It has three distinct parts as follows:
 Duodenum (anterior part) – which receives the bile juice from Liver and
pancreatic juice from Pancreas.
Liver: Produces bile, which is stored in a small bag, called gall bladder. Bile helps
in the digestion of fats.
Pancreas: It secretes pancreatic juice, which contains enzymes trypsin and lipase.
Trypsin acts on proteins and convert it into peptones.
Lipase acts on fat droplets and convert them into fatty acids and glycerol.
 Jejenum (middle part) – which helps to transfer the food into ileum.
 Ileum (posterior part) – where the process of digestion completed.

The role of villi in absorption of the nutrients:


Digested food molecules are absorbed in to the blood in villi.
Villi are small finger like projections present in small intestine that help in
absorption of digested food.

Adaptations of villi:
 Large surface area to increase the area of absorption
 One cell thickness
 Thick network of blood capillaries.
Large intestine: Help in absorption of water and formation of faeces from the
undigested food.

Demonstrate the significance of healthy food habits.


Healthy food includes all nutrients in correct quantity. Proper amount of starch is
needed for proper energy. Proteins are needed for proper growth. Vitamins and
minerals keep us healthy and protect us from getting diseases. Healthy food
habits keep our body healthy.
Role of enzymes in Digestion:

Part Secretion Enzyme Function

Mouth Saliva Ptyalin Starch --------- Maltose


Stomach Gastric juice Pepsin Proteins ---------- Peptones

Duodenum Bile juice No enzyme Emulsification of fat


Pancreatic juice Trypsin Proteins ---------- peptones
Lipase Fats ----------- fatty acids
and glycerol

Ileum Intestinal juice Several Partially digested proteins and


enzymes carbohydrates into simple sugars and
amino acids.

You might also like