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The Human Digestive System:: Its Functions, Stages, and The Pathway of Food
The Human Digestive System:: Its Functions, Stages, and The Pathway of Food
The Human Digestive System:: Its Functions, Stages, and The Pathway of Food
SCIENCE
QUARTER 4 – MODULE 1
(Week 1)
This module was designed and written with you in mind. It is here to help
you master the human digestive system and how it works. The scope of this module
permits it to be used in many different learning situations. The language used
recognizes the diverse vocabulary level of students. The lessons are arranged to
follow the standard sequence of the course. But the order in which you read them
can be changed to correspond with the textbook you are now using.
The module consists of:
• Lesson 1 – The Human Digestion
1.1 – The Main Stages of Digestion
1.2 - The Sequential Stages of Food Processing
1
What I Know
Directions: Read the questions carefully and then choose the letter of your
answer. Use a separate sheet of paper for your answers.
1. What type of molecules does bile break down?
A. carbohydrates C. proteins
B. fats D. vitamins
2. What process refers to the absorption of nutrients by each cell of the body in
the form of energy?
A. absorption C. excretion
B. assimilation D. ingestion
5. It is the process by which undigested food content and waste products are
being eliminated from the body.
A. absorption C. excretion
B. assimilation D. ingestion
8. What first aid can be applied to dislodge upper airway obstruction or choking?
A. compression C. resuscitation
B. Heimlich maneuver D. use of inhaler
9. Which is TRUE about the two sphincters between the rectum and the anus?
A. The inner sphincter is voluntary while the outer sphincter is involuntary
B. The inner sphincter is involuntary while the outer sphincter is voluntary
C. Both sphincters are voluntary
D. Both sphincters are involuntary
10. The process where nutrients are absorbed into the bloodstream of the body
is called .
A. absorption C. excretion
B. assimilation D. ingestion
Lesson The Human Digestion
What’s In
All living things, including us humans, need food. Food fuels our body with
the energy we need to function. But for that to happen, the food we eat must undergo
a process so the complex material will be broken down into smaller pieces that
our body can absorb and utilize.
1. SGTEOIIND – the process of breaking down food into substances that can be
used by the body.
2. TNIEOSGIN – a process where food is taken in through the mouth.
3. RSNOOPBTIA – the process where nutrients are absorbed into the bloodstream
of the body.
4. MLSASAIINTOI – the process where nutrients are being absorbed by each cell
of the body in the form of energy.
5. TXRECEONI – the elimination of undigested food content and waste products.
The food you eat makes an incredible journey through your body – from the
mouth to the anus. Along the way, the beneficial parts of your food are absorbed, giving
you energy and nutrients which are essential for your growth and the replacement of
worn and damaged tissues. The nutrients in the food you eat cannot be absorbed by
the body unless it is broken down into simpler molecules in the process of digestion.
What is It
The first step to obtaining nutrition is ingestion, a process where food is taken
in through the mouth and broken down by teeth and saliva. Simply, it is the act of
taking in food.
Once the food is in the mouth, the teeth, saliva, and tongue play important
roles in mastication (preparing the food into bolus). Mastication, or chewing, is an
extremely important part of the digestive process, especially for fruits and vegetables,
as these have indigestible cellulose coats which must be physically broken down.
Also, digestive enzymes only work on the surfaces of food particles, so the smaller
the particle, the more efficient the digestive process. While the food is being
mechanically broken down, the enzymes in saliva begin to chemically process the
food as well. The combined action of these processes modifies the food from large
particles to a soft mass that can be swallowed and can travel the length of the
esophagus.
During digestion, food is broken down into molecules small enough for the
body to absorb. Mechanical digestion, such as chewing, typically precedes chemical
digestion. Mechanical digestion breaks food into smaller pieces, increasing the
surface area available for chemical processes. Chemical digestion is necessary
because animals cannot directly use the proteins, carbohydrates, nucleic acids, fats,
and phospholipids in food. One problem is that these molecules are too large to pass
through membranes and enter the cells of the animal.
After the food is broken down, the next stage happens – absorption, where
nutrients are absorbed into the bloodstream of the body. It occurs by active, passive,
or facilitated transport mechanisms. In assimilation, the nutrients are being absorbed
by each cell of the body in the form of energy. This process is important in cell growth,
development, and new cell production.
What’s More
Figure 1. The Human Digestive System (Scanned from Reece J., et. al. (2014) Campbell Biology. 10th ed. USA: Pearson)
The Oral Cavity, Pharynx, and Esophagus
Ingestion and the initial step of digestion occur in the mouth, or oral cavity.
Mechanical digestion begins as teeth of various shapes cut, mash, and grind food,
making the food easier to swallow and increasing its surface area. Meanwhile, the
salivary glands deliver saliva through ducts to the oral cavity.
The release of saliva when food enters the mouth is a reflex, an automatic
reaction mediated to the nervous system. Saliva, the watery liquid produced by
glands located under the tongue, is an essential component of the
digestive process. Saliva is 98% water, so it moistens the mouth and helps compact
food into softened particles for easier swallowing. Saliva also contains special
enzymes that help digest the starches in your food.
Swallowing must be done carefully and correctly to keep food and liquids from
entering the trachea and causing choking, a blockage of the trachea. The resulting
lack of airflow into the lungs can be fatal if the material is not dislodged by vigorous
coughing, a series of back slaps, or a forced upward thrust of the diaphragm (the
Heimlich maneuver).
Figure 2. The intersection of the human airway and digestive tract. (Scanned from Reece J., et. al. (2014) Campbell Biology.
10th ed. USA: Pearson)
Digestion of fats and other lipids begins in the small intestine and relies on
the production of bile, a digestive fluid that is made in the liver. Bile contains bile
salts, which act as emulsifiers that aid in the digestion and absorption of lipids such
as fats. Bile is stored and concentrated in the gallbladder.
The colon completes the reabsorption of water that began in the small
intestine. What remains are the feces, the wastes of the digestive system, which
become increasingly solid as they are moved along the colon by peristalsis. It takes
approximately 12-24 hours for material to travel the length of the colon. If the lining
of the colon is irritated – by a viral or bacterial infection, for instance – less water
than normal may be reabsorbed, resulting in diarrhea. The opposite problem,
constipation, occurs when the feces move along the colon too slowly. Too much water
is reabsorbed, and the feces become compacted.
The undigested material in the feces includes cellulose fiber. Although it
provides no caloric value (energy) to humans, fiber helps move food along the
alimentary canal.
The terminal portion of the large intestine is the rectum, where the feces are
stored until they can be eliminated. Between the rectum and the anus are two
sphincters, the inner one being involuntary and the outer one being voluntary.
Periodically, strong contractions of the colon create an urge to defecate. Because
filling of the stomach triggers a reflex that increases the rate of contractions in the
colon, the urge to defecate often follows a meal.
What I Can Do
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
2. The process where undigested foods are eliminated from the body.
A. absorption C. excretion
B. assimilation D. ingestion
5. Which of the following statements are correct as food bolus arrives at the
pharynx?
I. The trachea reopens
II. Esophageal sphincter relaxes
III. Swallowing reflex is triggered
IV. Movement of the larynx tips the epiglottis down
A. I, II, IV only C. I, III, IV only
B. II, IV only D. I, II, III, IV
Rubrics in scoring:
Score 5 4 3 2
Criteria
Content Covers topic in- Includes essential Includes essential Content is
depth with details knowledge about information minimal or there
and examples. the topic. Subject about the topic are several
Subject knowledge knowledge appears but there are errors.
is excellent. to be good. some errors.
Answer Key
Name: Date:
Grade/Section:_ Score:
QUARTER 4- QUIZ # 1
I. Directions: Match the human organ in the diagram with the name listed below. Write only
the letter of your answer in the space provided.
II. Directions: Use the flowchart to trace the pathway of food through digestive tract. In
the spaces provided, write a sentence or two about what happens at each part.
Directions : Arrange the following processes in order of their occurrence. Then give a brief
explanation about each process.
1. ________________________________________________________________
2.
________________________________________________________________
3.
________________________________________________________________
4.
5.