Teeth (as part of the Digestive System)

Teeth (sometimes called "dentes") are accessory organs of the human digestive system. 
They are located in the buccal cavity, which is also known as the oral cavity and as themouth. There
are normally four types of teeth in an adult human mouth.

1.0 The Functions of Teeth

Teeth are the organs of chewing, which is also known as mastication. 
Teeth cut, tear and grind food in the mouth, enabling it to be mixed with saliva (from the salivary glands)
effectively and therefore swallowed more easily.
The actions performed by the teeth are all mechanical - as opposed to chemical.

How do the functions of teeth contribute to the process of digestion ?

The actions of the teeth (incl. cutting, tearing and grinding) increase the surface area of the food in the
mouth. This enables the digestive enzymes greater access to the food material and so assists their role in
the digestive process.

What aspects /features of the teeth lead to their effectiveness ?

1. Hard Surfaces
The teeth have hard surfaces because the crown of the teeth are covered by tooth
enamel which is the hardest substance in the human body.
2. Shape
Different types of teeth have different shapes which are adapted to different actions. For
example, of the human teeth, incisors have the sharpest edges and their shape makes
them good for cutting food - whereas the molars have much larger and relatively flatter
surfaces which are good for grinding food between the upper- and lower- molars.
 
First, what is a molar tooth ? There are several types of human teeth. The first set of teeth that develops
in young children is temporary, also known as milk teeth. The four types of adult - called permanent
teeth are:
1. Incisors
2. Canines (also known as cuspids)
3. Premolars (also known as bicuspids)
4. Molars
Diagram of Tooth Anatomy
Part of Tooth Short Description

Main Structure
1. Crown The crown of a tooth is the part of the tooth that is above the level of the gums and
is covered with enamel.
2. Neck The neck of a tooth is the narrowing part of a tooth between the tooth crown and
the tooth root.
3. Root The root of a tooth consists of one or more projections (two are shown the the
diagram above) embedded into the bone. These roots of teeth are embedded into
either the mandible (lower-jaw bone) or one of the maxillae (upper-jaw bones),
depending on the location in the mouth of the individual tooth.

Detail of Tooth Anatomy

4. Enamel Tooth enamel is the hardest substance in the human body. It consists mainly of
calcium phosphate and calcium carbonate. Enamel covers the crown of each tooth
and is important because its hard structure protects the tooth from mechanical
wear e.g. due to chewing food. Tooth enamel also protects the rest of the structure
of the tooth from chemical attack by acids that might otherwise dissolve the dentin
part of the tooth.
5. Dentin The main structure of teeth consists of dentin, which is a calcified connective
tissue. This gives the tooth its overall shape and rigidity.
6. Pulp Pulp within a tooth is a form of soft connective tissue that includes blood vessels,
nerves and lymphatic vessels. It is contained within the central part of the tooth
called the "pulp cavity".
7. Pulp Cavity The pulp cavity of a tooth is the volume in the centre of the tooth within which is the
tooth "pulp" (a connective tissue that contains blood vessels, nerves and lymphatic
vessels). The largest part of the pulp cavity is in the centre of the tooth but the pulp
cavity also extends down through all of the roots of the tooth. The narrow sections
of pulp cavity extending down through the roots of teeth are called "root canals".
8. Gingivae Gingivae is the medical term for gums (plural). The singular word for just one "gum"
is "gingiva". Gingivae or gums are the oral mucosa covering that that surrounding
the base of each tooth forming continuous "gums", one around the upper-jaw and
the other around the lower-jaw.
9. Blood Tiny blood vessels supply oxygenated blood to, and drain deoxygenated blood
Supply  from, each individual tooth. These blood vessels (shown in red and blue in the
(to tooth) diagram of tooth anatomy) are part of the human vascular system and pass
through the tooth root canals within each of a tooth's roots.
10 Nerve Nerve fibres (examples of which are shown in yellow in the diagram of tooth
. Supply  anatomy) are part of the human nervous system and pass through the tooth root
(to tooth) canals within each of a tooth's roots.
11 Tooth Root Narrow channels of pulp cavity extend from the main volume of pulp cavity towards
. Canal the top/center of the tooth along the length of each of the tooth's roots to the apical
foramen at the apex of each individual root of the tooth. The tooth root canals
contain blood vessels, nerve fibres and lymphatic vessels.
12 Cementum Cementum is a calcium-rich layer that covers the root of a tooth. It is light yellow in
. colour, slightly paler than dentin. Cementum has the highest fluoride content of all
 mineralized tissue. It is avascular, meaning that the cementum layer itself does not
have (or need) blood supply - hence no blood vessels are shown passing through
this part of the tooth.
Cementoenamel Junction: The join at which the cementum and enamel coverings
of a tooth meet is called the cementoenamel junction, and is also known as
the cervical line. In some cases the enamel and cementum do not quite meet,
which can result in a sensitive area of tooth, incl. e.g. sensitivity to cold, heat,
and/or strong flavours.
13 Periodontal The periodontal ligament lines the sockets in the jaw bones into which teeth are
. Ligament embedded. The periodontal ligament consists of dense fibrous connective
tissue that holds each tooth in position within the bone and acts as a mechanical
shock absorber when the teeth are subject to various mechanical forces during use
to chew food.
14 Apical An apical foramen is the opening at the root of a tooth through which nerves,
. Foramen lymphatic vessels and blood vessels enter the pulp cavity of the tooth. Each tooth
has as many apical foramen as it has roots, so one, two or three - depending on
the type of human tooth.
15 Alveolar Alveolar bone is sometimes labelled alveolar process and is the thick ridge part of
. Bone the jaw bones, i.e. the mandible (lower-jaw bone) or maxillae (upper-jaw bones), in
which the tooth sockets are located.
The mineral content of alveolar bone includes hydroxyapatite, which is also found
in tooth enamel. Alveolar bone includes an area of compact bone called lamina
dura to which the cementum covering the roots of teeth is attached by the
periodontal ligament.
Teeth Names from the position of teeth in the mouth

The following diagram of the names of teeh (showing an anterior view of the mouth) is clickable: 
Click the text labels on the diagram for information about the part of the oral cavity indicated by the label -
on another page.
6.1.1 Explain why digestion of large food molecules is essential.(3)
Most food molecules are large polymers and insoluble
They must first be digested to smaller soluble molecules before they can be absorbed into the blood

 
6.1.2 Explain the need for enzymes in digestion.(3)
Enzymes are biological catalysts that increase the rate of reaction
Digestive enzymes are secreted into the lumen of the gut
Digestive enzyme increase the rate of reaction of the hydrolysis of insoluble food molecules to soluble
end products
Digestive enzymes increase the rate of
reaction at body temperature
 
This image illustrates the reduction in
activation energy that is achieved by the
use of an enzyme
Notice that the normal reaction requires a
higher activation energy which would
correspond to a high body temperature.
This is usually not possible in living
organisms.
The enzyme-catalysed reaction has a lower
activation energy. This lower activation
energy would correspond to body
temperature but is only possible in the
presence of an enzyme

6.1.1 Explain why digestion of large food molecules is essential.(3)

Most food molecules are large polymers and insoluble
They must first be digested to smaller soluble molecules before they can be absorbed into the blood

 
6.1.2 Explain the need for enzymes in digestion.(3)
Enzymes are biological catalysts that increase the rate of reaction
Digestive enzymes are secreted into the lumen of the gut
Digestive enzyme increase the rate of reaction of the hydrolysis of insoluble food molecules to soluble
end products
Digestive enzymes increase the rate of
reaction at body temperature
 
This image illustrates the reduction in
activation energy that is achieved by the
use of an enzyme
Notice that the normal reaction requires a
higher activation energy which would
correspond to a high body temperature.
This is usually not possible in living
organisms.
The enzyme-catalysed reaction has a lower
activation energy. This lower activation
energy would correspond to body
temperature but is only possible in the
presence of an enzyme
 
6.1.5 Outline the function of the stomach, small intestine and large intestine.(2)
1. Stomach:
The stomach stores the food from a meal and begins
protein digestion.
 
(a) Lumen of the stomach which stores the food from a
meal
(b) Gastric pits from which mucus , enzymes and acid are
secreted
(c) Mucus secreting cells. Mucus protects the surface of the
stomach from auto-digestion
(d) Parietal cells that produce HCL which kills
microorganism that enter the digestive system (food &
tracheal mucus). This also converts inactive pepsinogen to
active pepsin
(e) Chief cells: produces pepsinogen a protease enzyme

small Intestine
In the small intestine digestion is completed.
The products of digestion are absorbed into the blood
stream.
 
(a) Villus which increase the surface area for absorption
of the products of digestion
(b) Microvilli border of the epithelial cell increases the
surface are for absorption.
(c) Lacteals are connect to the lymphatic system for the
transport of lipids.
(d) In the wall of the small intestine are the blood vessels to transport absorbed products to the general
circulation, There are also the muscle to maintain peristalsis
 
 
3. Large Intestine or colon:
The colon is responsible for the reabsorption of water
from the gut.
 
(a) The lumen of the colon
(b) The mucus producing goblet cells
(b) Muscular walls to maintain peristalsis
 

6.1.6 Distinguish between absorption and

assimilation.(2)
 
Insoluble food molecules are digested to soluble
products in the lumen of the gut.
Absorption:
The soluble products are first taken up by various
mechanisms into the epithelial cells that line the
gut.
These epithelial cells then load the various
absorbed molecules into the blood stream.
Assimilation:
The soluble products of digestion are then
transported to the various tissues by the circulatory
system.
The cells of the tissues then absorb the molecules
for use within this tissue