Human Digestion

Animal Nutrition- 7.4&7.5

Digestive System and
Chemical Digestion

Human digestive system

Organs of the Digestive

System
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Organs of the Digestive

System
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Digestion of Nutrients
Micronutrients- vitamins, minerals, &
water
- do not need digestion

Macronutrients- proteins, lipids,

carbohydrates
- must be digested before
absorption { glucose is absorbed
directly, without digestion)

Mouth
Mouth
mechanical digestion
teeth
breaking up food

chemical digestion
By Saliva it contains:
amylase
enzyme digests starch
mucin
slippery protein (mucus)
protects soft lining of digestive system
lubricates food for easier swallowing
buffers
neutralizes acid to prevent tooth decay
anti-bacterial chemicals
kill bacteria that enter mouth with food

mouth
break up food
digest starch
kill germs
moisten food

Teeth- to breakdown
food into small size
Salivary glandssecrete enzyme and
mucin
Tongue to mix saliva
and food and for
swallowing

Salivary Glands
Groups of
specialized
secretory
cells.
Found in the
lining of the
alimentary
canal or
accessory
organs.

Swallowing (& not choking)

Epiglottis
flap of cartilage
closes trachea (windpipe) when swallowing
food travels down esophagus
Peristalsis -involuntary muscle contractions to
move food along the esophagus . Tweo muscles
involved- longitudinal and circular.

Pharynx
The back of
the throat.
Larynxpassage for
air, closes
when we
swallow.
Is
approximately
15cm long.

Oesophagus
The pipe that
connects mouth to
stomach.
No digestion occurs
here.
The sphincters
prevents
regurgitation of food
.

Peristalsis
series of involuntary
wave-like muscle
contractions which
move food along the
digestive tract
Brought about by
alternate contraction
and relaxation of the
antagonistic longitudinal
and circular muscles

Stomach
Food is
temporarily
stored here.
Gastric juices
are secreted.
Has layers of
muscle that line
the inside.
Mechanically
and chemically

Stomach
Functions
food storage
can stretch to fit ~2L food

disinfect food
HCl = pH 2
kills bacteria

chemical digestion
pepsin
enzyme breaks down
proteins
But the stomach is made out of protein!
What stops the stomach from digesting itself?
mucus secreted by stomach cells protects
stomach lining

mouth
break up food
digest starch
kill germs
moisten food

stomach
kills germs
break up food
digest proteins
store food

sphincter

sphincter

Gastric Juices
Secreted by the
stomach.
Acidic (pH 1.5-2.5)
(HCl).
Pepsin- an enzyme
that breaks down
large proteins into
amino acids.
Food is further
broken down into a
thin liquid called

Accessory Organs
Pancreas
Gall Bladder
Spleen

Pancreas
An organ which secretes both
digestive enzymes (exocrine) and
hormones (endocrine)
Pancreatic juice digests all major
nutrient types.
Nearly all digestion occurs in the
small intestine & all digestion is
completed in the SI.

Digestive enzymes
digest proteins using
enzymes trypsin,
chymotrypsin
digest starch : using enzyme
amylase
- - digest fats using enzymes
lipase.

Gall bladder
Pouch structure located near
the liver which concentrates
and stores bile
Bile duct a long tube that
carries BILE. The top half of
the common bile duct is
associated with the liver,
while the bottom half of the
common bile duct is
associated with the pancreas,
through which it passes on its
way to the intestine.
Function:
To store bile received from
the liver until it is required for
digestion of fats in the
duodenum.

Liver

largest gland in the body

(approximately 1500
grams

located in the right upper

quadrant of the abdomen.

glossy in appearance
dark red in color from the
rich supply of blood flowing
through it. Approximately
25% of the cardiac output
flows to the liver.

performs many important

Emulsification of fats
Liver secretes a juice called bile.
Bile is a bitter, greenish-yellow
alkaline fluid, stored in the gallbladder
between meals and upon eating is
discharged into the duodenum .
Breaks down fat molecules into tiny
droplets to increase surface area for
the action of lipase.

Functions of Liver
produces bile ;
bile stored in gallbladder until needed
Bile emulsifies fats ( not digests) into tiny
droplets to increase surface area for
enzymatic action of lipase.
Contains the breakdown pigments of
haemoglobin)
Converts excess glucose to glycogen for
storage
Synthesises the required proteins from amino
acids
Deaminates excess amino acids ( removes
ammonia) and forms urea ; tne remainig part

mouth
break up food
digest starch
kill germs
moisten food
liver
produces bile
- stored in gall bladder
break up fats
pancreas
produces enzymes to
digest proteins & starch

stomach
kills germs
break up food
digest proteins
store food

Small Intestine
Most chemical
digestion takes
place here.
Simple sugars and
amino acides
are absorbed into
capillaries by
diffusion or active
transport.
Fatty acids and
glycerol are
absorbed into
lymphatic system.
Lined with villi, which

Small intestine
Function
chemical digestion
major organ of digestion & absorption

absorption through lining

over 6 meters!
small intestine has huge surface area =
300m2 (~size of tennis court)

Structure
3 sections
duodenum = most digestion
jejunum = absorption of nutrients & water
ileum = absorption of nutrients & water

Duodenum
1st section of small intestines
Receives acid food from stomach
mixes with digestive juices from:

pancreas
liver
gall bladder

- Digestion of all food molecules ends here.

mouth
break up food
digest starch
kill germs
moisten food

pancreas
produces enzymes to
digest proteins & starch

stomach
kills germs
break up food
digest proteins
store food

Summary of digestive
enzymes

7. Human Nutrition
- 7.5 Absorption

Absorption in the SI

Much absorption is thought to occur directly through

the wall without the need for special adaptations

Almost 90% of our daily fluid intake is absorbed in

the small intestine.

Villi - increase the surface area of the small

intestines, thus providing better absorption of
materials

Absorption by Small
Intestines
Absorption through villi & microvilli
finger-like projections
increase surface area for absorption

Adaptations of small intestine for

absorption
About 7 metres long
Good supply of blood
Large surface area due to presence
of villi and microvilli
Thin walls to reduce diffusion
barrier

Absorption by Small
Glucose and amino Intestines
acids are
absorbed into the blood capillaries
initially by diffusion and then by
active transport.

Fatty acid and glycerol are

absorbed into the lacteals as
they are too large to diffuse
through the pores of the
capillaries
The absorbed nutrients are sent to the liver
through the hepatic portal vein. This is
essential as the blood leaving intestines is
very rich in glucose and may contains toxins
that have to be removed by the liver.

Large intestines
(colon)
Function
re-absorb water
use ~9 liters of water
every
day in digestive juices
> 90% of water
reabsorbed
not enough water
absorbed
diarrhea
too much water absorbed
constipation

Large Intestine
Solid materials pass
through the large
intestine.
These are
undigestible solids
(fibers).
Water is absorbed.
Vitamins K and B
are reabsorbed with
the water.
Rectum- solid wastes
(faeces) stored here

Youve got company!

Living in the large intestine is a
community of helpful bacteria
Escherichia coli (E. coli)
produce vitamins
vitamin K; B vitamins

generate gases
by-product of bacterial metabolism
methane, hydrogen sulfide

Appendix

Vestigial organ

Rectum
Last section of colon
(large intestines)
eliminate feces
undigested
materials
extracellular waste
mainly cellulose
from plants
roughage or
fiber
masses of bacteria

Diarrhoea and Cholera

http://kitses.com/animation/digestion.html

Plenary

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y-digestive-system.html

NARY

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Good quiz
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