The Alimentary Canal/Digestive System

By: Jade Jackman (4.5)

Table of contents
Introduction: What is the digestive system and its importance? – Page 3
The structures in the alimentary canal and digestion (Table and diagram included)
– Pages 3-5
Absorption: - Pages 6 and 7
 What is absorption?
 Absorption in the small intestine and the colon
Egestion – Page 7
Assimilation, using monosaccharides, amino acids and fatty acids and glycerol –
Pages 8
How blood glucose levels are controlled using insulin and glucagon. – Page 9
Introduction
The digestive system is a group of organs working together to convert food into energy and basic
nutrients to feed the entire body. Digestion is important for breaking down food into nutrients
which the body uses for energy, growth and cell repair. Food and drink must be changed into
smaller molecules of nutrients before the blood absorbs them and carries them to cells
throughout the body. The body breaks down nutrients from food and drink into carbohydrates,
proteins, fats and vitamins.
Sources: https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/digestive-diseases/digestive-system-
how-it-works
http://www.innerbody.com/image/digeov.html

The Structures of the Alimentary Canal and

Digestion
The Alimentary Canal is also called the Digestive Tract and it includes the mouth,
pharynx, oesophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine and the anus.
Mouth – Here is where digestion begins. Food enters the mouth and it is chewed
by the teeth and mixed with saliva from the salivary glands which adds moisture.
The saliva contains an enzyme called amylase which begins to break down
starches. The tongue kneads the food into a smooth ball called a bolus and pushes
it to the back of the mouth where it is swallowed.
Oesophagus - The bolus passes through here to the stomach.
Stomach – In the stomach the food is mixed by peristaltic contractions, which
occur at a rate of three contractions per minute, with highly acidic gastric juices
which are secreted from the glands in the stomach lining. The food in its
semiliquid form is then passes to the duodenum (the first section of the small
intestine).
Small Intestine – The small intestine consists of the duodenum, jejunum and the
ileum. Here is where most chemical digestion takes place. Many of the digestive
enzymes that act in the small intestine are secreted by the pancreas and liver.
Absorption occurs in the small intestines. The digested food passes into the blood
vessels in the wall of the intestine through either diffusion or active transport and
into the bloodstream. The digested food molecules are carried around the body to
where they are needed and the undigested food is passed on to the large intestine.
Large Intestine – The large intestine is also called the colon. Here is where water is
absorbed and remaining waste materials (undigested food) are stored as faeces in
the rectum until we are ready to use the toilet.
Anus – The faeces stored in the rectum and is removed from the body through
here.

Labelled Diagram of the Digestive System

Sources: https://www.britannica.com/science/digestion-biology
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_intestine#Absorption
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Large_intestine

http://wholelifebalance.com/digestion-101-small-intestine-absorption-meister/
Organ Digestive Source of Main Functions of components
Juice(s) Digestive Juices Components of
Digestive Juices

Mouth Saliva Salivary gland - Water and - Moisten and lubricate

mucus the food to allow for
- Salivary swallowing
amylase - Begins to digest starch to
maltose
Oesophagus Saliva Salivary gland - Water and - Lubricates the walls of
mucus the oesophagus to allow
- Salivary the food to descend to the
amylase stomach easily.

Stomach Gastric Acid Gastric gland - Hydrochloric - Activates digestive

acid enzymes.
- Potassium - Makes ingested proteins
chloride unravel so digestive
- Sodium enzymes can break down
Chloride the long chains of amino
acids.
Small Intestine - Intestinal Juice - Intestinal gland - Hormones -Hormones and mucus
-Mucus neutralize hydrochloric
-Erepsin acid from the stomach.
- Maltase - Erepsin completes
protein digestion.
- Maltase completes the
breakdown of maltose into
glucose.

- Pancreatic - Pancreas -Trypsin, - Neutralizes hydrochloric

Juice pancreatic lipase, acid from the stomach.
amylase, etc. - Lipase breaks down fats
into fatty acids and
glycerol.
Large Intestine - Intestinal Juice - Intestinal gland - Hormones -Hormones and mucus
-Mucus neutralize hydrochloric
-Erepsin acid from the stomach.
- Maltase - Erepsin completes
protein digestion.
- Maltase completes the
breakdown of maltose into
glucose.
Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Large_intestine
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intestinal_gland - Intestinal_juice
https://www.britannica.com/science/intestinal-juice

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gastric_acid
Absorption
What Is Absorption?
Absorption is the process of absorbing or assimilating substances into cells or
across the tissues and organs through diffusion, osmosis or active transport.
Absorption in the Small Intestine and Colon
Before absorption can take place in the small intestine (small bowel) and colon the
partially digested food mixed with gastric juices (chyme) must be fully digested.
Proteins are denatured by acid and broken down by pepsin in the stomach. Lipids
begin being broken down by gastric lipases but the majority of fat digestion occurs
in the small bowel. The action of pancreatic lipases breakdown fats into smaller,
potentially absorbable components. Carbohydrates generally enter the small
intestine intact but once there they are split into sugars by pancreatic amylase.
Further down in the small bowel, maltase, sucrase, lactase, isomaltase and alpha
dextrinas act on the remaining carbohydrates, splitting off the component simple
sugars one sugar at a time. All this occurs in the first twelve inches of the small
intestines called the duodenum.
During absorption ninety to ninety-five percent of nutrients are absorbed in the
small bowel. After being exposed to pancreatic enzymes and bile the partially
digested chyme becomes capable of being absorbed. By the end of its passage
everything valuable to the body has been extracted from the chyme. This includes:
 Water
 Electrolytes (sodium, chloride, potassium)
 Proteins, carbohydrates and fats (which have been broken down into amino
acids, glucose and fatty acids respectively)
 Vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and phytochemicals
Vitamins, simple sugars and amino acids are absorbed in the next eleven feet of the
small intestine called the jejunum. Water soluble vitamins, like vitamin C and the
B-complex vitamins, go directly into the blood stream. Fat soluble vitamins, like
vitamin A, D and E are packaged into fats in this part of the small intestine.
In the ileum any vitamin, mineral, simple sugar or amino acid that hasn’t been
absorbed yet will get picked up here. Fats and fat soluble vitamins are transported
to the lymphatic system where they slowly enter the bloodstream over time.
The small intestines and colon are lined with small projections called villi that
absorb what the body needs and blocks what isn’t needed. The villi are simply
little fingers lined up next to each other with just enough space for nutrients to get
through but small enough that large, unwanted particles can’t. A single villus
consists of one vein, one artery and a central lacteal, which is a type of capillary
that transports lymphatic fluid. The villus is structurally supported by one strand of
muscle and connective tissue. Two types of cells coat the villi, goblet cells that
secrete mucus and epithelial (surface) cells that are responsible for absorption. The
epithelial cells are coated with even smaller projections called microvilli which
further increase the absorptive capacity of the intestines. Microvilli are covered
with digestive enzymes that break down carbohydrates and protein. When the
chyme comes in contact with the villi the carbohydrates and proteins in the chyme
enter the bloodstream passively via the vein and artery. The fat is absorbed by the
lacteal into the lymphatic system, which eventually empties into the bloodstream.
Specialized intestinal cells of the villi allow the passage of B-12, iron and calcium
into the bloodstream via active transport.
The large intestine/colon is the last part of the alimentary canal and it absorbs
excess water and vitamins while turning waste products from the digested food
into faeces. It uses absorption to gain water and vitamins which is used to convert
the waste products into faeces. The water is absorbed through the villi via osmosis
but by now there is a larger osmotic pressure in the chyme. As a result, the colon
must aid in moving the water against the gradient.
Sources: http://teachmephysiology.com/gastrointestinal-system/large-intestine/absorption-large-
intestine/

http://www.biology-online.org/dictionary/Absorption

http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/villi-affect-absorption-nutrients-9113.html

Egestion
Egestion is the expulsion of undigested food materials from the body as faeces.
After digestion and absorption, large amounts of materials remain undigested.
These materials largely consist of plant fibres, dead bacteria etc. and are passed
into the rectum where the faeces are expelled through the anus.
Sources: https://gradestack.com/CBSE-Class-11th-Science/Digestion-and-Absorption/Egestion/17596-
3568-30613-study-wtw
Assimilation, using monosaccharides, amino
acids and fatty acids & glycerol
Assimilation occurs in the cells while digestion occurs in the alimentary canal. The
absorbed nutrients are carried to the liver where they are distributed to other parts
of the body. The liver acts as a checkpoint and stores excess nutrients and also acts
as a regulator as it controls how much nutrients our body receives.
Monosaccharides
After being absorbed by the blood capillaries, monosaccharides are transported to
the liver via the hepatic portal vein. The liver distributes enough nutrients to the
heart where it is then pumped around the body to its respective cells. The
monosaccharide then combines with oxygen in the cell (oxidisation) to release
energy. This is called cell respiration. Excess nutrients are converted and stored in
the liver. For example, glucose is converted to glycogen and stored in the liver for
later use. When there are too much excess nutrients, the rest is converted to lipids.
Amino Acids
After absorption, amino acids enter the liver by the hepatic portal vein. The liver
converts it to plasma proteins and it also is sent to the heart to be distributed
around the body to the cells where it builds the cell, provides growth and
maintenance to the cell. Excess amino acids cannot be stored in the body and is
therefore goes through a process by the liver called deamination. This turns the
amino acids into urea which is then transported to the kidneys which is then gotten
rid of by the body as urine.
Fatty Acids and Glycerol
After the triglycerides are split into fatty acids and glycerol and the components are
absorbed by the lacteal, the fats are converted to lipoproteins and are transported
into the nearest lymph vessel. The lymphatic system then carries the lipoproteins to
the large vein in the neck where they finally enter the bloodstream. Once in the
bloodstream some lipoproteins carry fatty acids to tissues that need them for
energy, such as muscles. High density lipoproteins take cholesterol back to the
liver where its removed from your system. Low density lipoproteins remain in the
blood stream and deliver cholesterol to cells.
Sources: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JI4cQdFpXaw
https://www.scribd.com/doc/18226559/Assimilation-of-Digested-Food

http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/fats-absorbed-directly-bloodstream-12269.html

How Blood Glucose levels are controlled by

Insulin and Glucagon
Insulin is a hormone which tells cells throughout your body to take in glucose from
your bloodstream. By doing this it prevents your blood from having a surplus of
glucose. As the glucose enters the cells, the blood glucose levels go down and it
should become the normal amount needed. In summary, insulin simply lowers
blood glucose levels by telling cells to absorb glucose and also by telling the liver
to store excess glucose as glycogen.
Glucagon is a hormone which tells the liver and muscle cells to change stored
glycogen back into glucose. These cells then release the glucose into the
bloodstream so your other cells can use it for energy. In summary, glucagon raises
blood glucose levels by telling the liver and muscle cells to release glucose into the
bloodstream.
Sources: https://www.healthline.com/health/diabetes/insulin-and-glucagon - definitions