Digestion and absorption of food in man

Food moves through the digestive system thanks to the contractions of smooth muscles
located in the walls of the digestive organs - peristaltic movements. Around the intestine there
are blood vessels through which nutrients are reabsorbed into the blood and transported to the
cell. The organs of the nourishment system are coated with mucous membranes in which
there are many glands. Mucus coats the mucous membranes of the organs in which the
breakdown of food takes place, thus protecting the mucous membranefrom various enzymes.
Sphincters are circular muscles that are located around individual openings on the body,
closing the cavity and preventing the contents from being highlighted. Their stiffness can be
voluntarily influenced. They are located at the transition from the esophagus to the stomach,
from the stomach to the duodenum, around the excretory canal of the liver and pancreas, and
at the point of flow into the duodenum.

1. Digestion in the oral cavity

The oral cavity is the initial part of the intestinal tract. It contains the tongue, teeth and
salivary glands.

-Teeth are used for mechanical processing of food (tearing and shredding). The first teeth are
milky and there are 20 of them (10 in each jaw). They are replaced by permanent teeth. He
has 32 permanent teeth. The part of the tooth that is in the jaw is called the root, above it is
the crown and between them is the neck. On the surface of the tooth is look, matter similar to
bone. Below is the dentin and inside is the dental pulp that contains blood vessels and nerve
endings (pain receptors).

Salivary glands secrete saliva that plays a role in the chemical breakdown of food. In the oral
cavity there are smaller salivary glands and three pairs of larger ones: sublingual, undervillic,
narrow. Saliva or salivation facilitates swallowing and chewing, protects the oral cavity and
destroys bacteria. It contains the enzyme amylase, which begins the breakdown of
carbohydrates.

2. Digestion of food in the stomach

The stomach is a sac-shaped muscle organ in which food is stored and partially digested.
Between the esophagus and the stomach there is a sphincter that allows the passage of the
bite into the stomach but not the reverse process. The wall of the stomach is made of smooth
muscles and mucous membranes that line the stomach on the inside and contains the glands
that secrete sour stomach juice and glands that secrete mucus (mucus). Stomach juice
contains HCL from which acidity originates. It destroys most of the microorganisms that get
into the stomach and creates an acidic environment necessary for the functioning of enzymes.
Pepsin breaks down proteins into shorter chains (oligomers). It is inactive form (pepsinogen)
activated under the action of HCL, because if it is excreted as active it would lead to self-
degradation of the stomach.
3. Digestion of food in the small intestine
The small intestine extends from the stomach to the large intestine.

The initial part of the small intestine is the duodenum. In the duodenum, most of the chemical
digestion of food takes place. The digestive enzyme originates from the liver and pancreas,
whose channels flow into the duodenum. In the mucous membrane of the duodenum there are
glands whose secretion is mucus that protects the mucous membrane from the breakdown
enzymes and acids. The entire length of the intestine contains glands that secrete intestinal
juice that facilitates the absorption of nutrients.

The pancreas is the gland that is located in the loop of the doudenum. It has a dual function:
exterior and inner lubrication.
The external (exocrine) function of the pancreas is the secretion of pancreatic juice
containing the following enzymes:
Amylase that breaks down carbohydrates to disaccharides
Lipase breaks down lipids to fatty acids and glycerol
Trypsin and chymotrypsin that break down proteins to oligopeptides and dipeptides (secreted
in inactive form)
In pancreatic juice there is also a certain amount of basic substances that neutralize acidic
content that comes with food from the stomach.
The internal (endocrine) function is to secrete the hormones insulin and glucagon that
regulate the concentration of sugar in the blood.
Insulin is a hormone that allows sugar to enter the cells. In its deficiency, glucose remains in
the blood and inaccessible to cells. Glucagon is a hormone that breaks down glycogen from
the liver when there is a lack of sugar in the blood. The breakdown of glycogen produces
glucose that can be used.

The liver is the largest gland in the body, consisting of two uneven cuts and is located under
the diaphragm. Performs detoxification of harmful substances, decomposition of worn
erythrocytes, blood protein production, absorption of vitamins, etc. It is the only organ that
has the power to regenerate. The role of the liver in digestion is to produce bile to break down
fats.

Zuc consists of bile salts that break down fat into small tiny droplets and enzymes only then
act on them. The coloration of the bile comes from the yellow colors that are the product of
the breakdown of hemoglobin. The zuc is constantly formed in the cells and is transferred to
the zucchini. From there, the outlet channel is drained from the intestine. The ducts of the
liver and pancreas merge before flowing into the duodenum, where the sphincter is located.
Regulation of digestion

The secretion of all digestive juices is under the control of the nervous system and hormones.
Information about the presence of food is carried out to the center in the extended brain,
whose activation begins the secretion of saliva and stomach juice.

Stretching the stomach wall and the presence of food stimulate the glands of the stomach to
secrete the hormone gastrin. Gastrin then goes into the blood and again acts on the stomach
to secrete the stomach juice.
Semi-digested food passes from the stomach to the duodenum, where it causes secretions of
secretions and cholecystokinins. These hormones from the intestines pass into the blood and
act on the liver and pancreas and cause the secretion of pancreatic juice and emptying of the
gallbladder. Secretion stimulates the secretion of the base component of pancreatic juice.
Cholecystokinin stimulates the secretion of pancreatic enzymes and causes emptying of the
gallbladder, this hormone is secreted due to the presence of fat in 12 pal intestines.

Absorption of substances from the digestive system

The absorption of substances involves the passage of water and other substances from the
intestine to the blood and lymph. Most of these substances are absorbed in the small intestine.
To improve the efficiency of absorption, the inner surface of the small intestine is very
wrinkled. On these folds there are intestinal villi (villi) i.e. growths that further increase the
absorption surface.

Stiff fringe construction

On the surface of the intestinal villi there is a single layer epithelium, composed of enterocyte
cells that secrete water and electrolytes. Inside each villi is a lymphatic vessel and a capillary
network. Substances pass from the lumen of the intestine through a single layer of cells into
the vessels. The membrane of the epithelial cells is additionally wrinkled and forms
microvilli growths , which enlarges the surface of the intestinal mucosa. Enterocyte
membranes contain enzymes to break down disaccharides and dipeptides that have not
previously broken down. So, the complete breakdown of disaccharides and dipeptides occurs
on the membranes of the cells of the intestinal epithelium, and this type of digestion is called
membrane digestion.