DIGESTIVE SYSTEM

Organ System- is a group of a like organs that work together to perform a specific job or
function in the body.
Digestive System- is responsible for breaking down large molecules into smaller molecules
and absorption of organic compounds needed by the body.
Digestion- the chief function of the digestive system
 It is the breakdown of organic compounds into their simple forms use by the cells.
o Organic Compounds- typically consists of groups of carbon atoms covalently
bonded to hydrogen, usually oxygen, and often other elements as well.
o It is essential to human functioning include carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and
nucleotides.
o These compounds are said to be organic because they contain both carbon and
hydrogen.
 It has two methods
o Mechanical Digestion
o Chemical Digestion
Ingestion- is the first process that happens in the digestive system.
 It is the journey of taking in food or any substance into the body through the mouth.
 The journey of the food starts when a bit of hamburger enters your mouth.
 This process includes the mouth.
 Tounge receives stimuli to determine the taste of the food
 Saliva- in the mouth lubricated the food
Digestion- the breaking down of the food into soluble molecules
 it is the process that happens in the digestive system.
 Occurs mostly in the small intestine where several digestive juices, pancreatic juice, and
bile aid in the chemical digestion of the food.
 Mechanical Digestion- happens only in the mouth with the aid of the teeth. The teeth
chews, grinds and slices the food into smaller pieces.
 Chemical Digestion-start to happen in the mouth
o Saliva in the mouth contains enzyme such as amylase which digests sugar
molecules
o The tongue and the throat will push the food into the esophagus
o In the esophagus, the food moves to the stomach through peristalsis
o Peristalsis- is the involuntary muscular movement that helps the food move \
o Gastric juice- breaks down proteins into amino acids
o Hydrochloric acid- kills bacteria and other microbes
o Several Enzymes- also digest food into different molecules
o The food is now converted into a semi-liquid state called chyme.
o Chyme is now moved into the small intestine for the last phase of digestion
o Several enzymes break down:
 Fats into fatty acids and smaller molecules
 Carbohydrates- into simple sugars
 Proteins- into amino acids
Absorption- is the process of passing the soluble food molecules in the wall of the small
intestine through the villi.
 Passing of soluble molecules or nutrients into the circulatory system via the capillaries.
 It happens in the internal folds of the small intestine known as the villi.
o Villi- is the tiny finger-like projections from the epithelial lining of the intestinal
wall.
 These folds allow to maximize the absorption of nutrients into the body.
 Water is also absorbed by the body in the large intestine
 Large intestine- contains bacteria that digests left-overs in the chyme to maximize the
intake of nutrients in the body.
Assimilation- is the process by which the molecules move into the cells for different cellular
processes.
 is the fourth process that occurs in the digestive system
 Circulatory System- carry out this process
 Also referred as defecation.
 Defecation- removes undigested materials from the large intestine
 Feces- is excreted through the anus
 It is the movement of digested food nutrients into the blood vessels of the small intestine
through diffusion and use of nutrients into the body cells through the microvilli
o Microvilli- is the microscopic cellular membrane projections that serves to
expand the surface area for diffusion also to lessen any increase in volume
Egestion- the last process that occurs in the digestive system.
 It is the release of undigested food collected in the rectum called feces and pushed out
of the body through the anus by defecation.
ENZYMES OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
Enzymes- are essential for digestion as they help speeds up the chemical reaction
 One way an enzyme speeds up a chemical reaction is by reducing the amount of energy
needed to start the reaction
 As food moves along the digestive system enzymes are added along the way
Salivary glands- are in the mouth/oral cavity helps start the digestion
Lipase- is secreted that helps break down lipids
Amylase- is secreted and this helps break down carbohydrates
Pepsin- is the main enzyme in the stomach
 Breaks down the protein in the food into smaller particles
 Protein digestion first starts in the stomach
 Carbohydrates and lipids start their digestion in the mouth
Pancreatic Duct- located in the Duodenum which is the small intestine
 Releases enzymes produces by the pancreas
 This pancreatic juice is a combination of at least 7 different enzymes which are
o Trypsinogen
o Chymotrypsinogen
o Elastase
o Carboxypeptidase
o Pancreatic lipase
o Nucleases
 o Amylase
 Breaks down proteins, glycogen and starch
As food travels into the small intestine, additional enzymes are added
 Enzymes whose function is to further break down the chyme released from the stomach
 The enzymes in the small intestine
o Erepsin
o Maltase
o Lactase – breaks down lactose that is found in may dairy products.
 If you are lactose intolerant, you either lack this enzyme or have a
reduces amount
o Sucrase
 Cell Production
Cell- is the building blocks of an organism
 Basic unit of a living organism
 A person having an abnormal cell may not have a healthy body
Somatic- cell of a human, from the hair to the bone; body cells
Gametes- egg cells and sperm cells
The Chromosome- thread-like structures located inside the nucleus of animal and plant cells
 Contains Deoxyribonucleic acid or DNA is the genetic material located inside a
chromosome in the nucleus of the cell.
 DNA is transmitted from the parent to the offspring to ensure the continuity of life.
 Different organisms have different number of chromosome in
Parts of the Chromosome
1. Chromatids- two identical halves of a replicated chromosome after the synthesis phase
or the S phase of the cell cycle
2. Centromere- the attachment points of the two of a chromosome

Mitosis- is for the reproduction of somatic cells

 Use only for body cells
 It replicates enough number so that DNA would be equal to 46
 Is a cellular process wherein two nuclei and two cells are produced due to the division of
the original nucleus.
 Divided into four stages
 Prophase- preparation, first phase
o Prepare the cell for division. Repeated coining of chromosome
 Metaphase- middle, chromosome align at the equatorial plane
o Each spindle fiber from both centrosome connects to each chromosome through
its kinetochore.
 Anaphase- away, centromere divide away from each other
 Telophase- new cell; two cells. Product of the mother cell
Meiosis