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Chapter 7 Biology
Chapter 7 Biology
Chapter 7 Biology
Definitions:
1. Balanced diet: a diet that contains all of the required nutrients in suitable
proportions and the right amount of energy.
2. Ingestion: talking in substances
3. Digestion: breakdown of food.
4. Absorption: movement of nutrients from intestines into blood
5. Assimilation: uptake and use of nutrients by cells
6. Egestion: removal of undigested food from the body as faeces.
7. Physical Digestion: Breakdown of food into smaller pieces without chemical
change to the food molecules
8. Chemical Digestion: The breakdown of large insoluble molecules into smaller
soluble molecules
Important pointers:
● Main components of human diet should contain
○ Carbohydrates
○ Proteins
○ Fats
○ Vitamin C
○ Vitamin D
○ Iron
○ Calcium
○ Fibre
○ Water
● Vitamin D deficiency causes rickets
● Vitamin C deficiency causes scurvy
● Iron deficiency causes anaemia
● Physical digestion increases surface area for chemical digestion
● Types of human teeth
○ Incisors: They are sharp and used mainly for biting.
○ Canines: They are used to pierce through food.
○ Molars: They have a large surface area and are mainly there for
grinding the food into smaller pieces.
○ Premolars: They have a smaller area than molars but have the same
purpose.
● Teeth (by chewing and biting) and stomach (by churning food) both perform
physical digestion
● Parts of a teeth
○ Enamel: very strong material that covers the surface of the tooth.
○ Dentine: living tissue beneath the enamel.
○ Cement: material that holds teeth in gum
○ Pulp: contains nerves and blood vessels
○ Jawbone
● Digestion. Peristalsis continues throughout the alimentary canal:
○ Mouth:
■ The surface area of food is increased by physical digestion by
teeth.
■ There are 3 pairs of salivary glands which release saliva which
have the enzyme amylase.
■ Salivary amylase breaks down starch to maltose.
○ Stomach:
■ Gastric juices containing hydrochloric acid and pepsin enzymes
are released to break down proteins.
■ The stomach constantly churns food and makes it into a chyme
which is released into the duodenum.
■ The hydrochloric acid also kills harmful microorganisms
○ Duodenum:
■ Connected to the pancreatic duct and bile duct.
○ Bile
■ Emulsifies fat into smaller molecules to increase surface area.
■ Is alkaline so neutralises the acidity of the chyme.
○ Pancreatic juices:
■ Contain maltase that breaks down maltose to glucose.
■ Contain lipase that breaks down emulsified fat into fatty acids
and glycerol molecules.
■ Contain trypsin to break down the rest of the proteins to amino
acids.
○ Ileum:
■ Contains villi and microvilli which increase the surface area for
absorption.
■ Microvilli are one cell thick with a large surface area and well
supplied by the capillary network for fastest absorption. They
also have a mucus lining which traps harmful microorganisms.
○ Colon:
■ Undigested food is transported here via the hepatic portal vein
to get reabsorbed.
○ Rectum and anus:
■ The undigested substances are stored in the rectum before
being excreted out of the anus.
● Absorption and assimilation
○ Glucose is transported via the hepatic portal vein to the liver to convert
glucose to glycogen and store it.
○ Amino acids are transported via the hepatic portal vein to the liver to
make proteins, urea and transport to other body cells.
○ Fatty acids and glycerol molecules travel through the lacteals and get
emptied into the blood.
● Nutrients are absorbed at the small intestine alone with most water. Some
water is absorbed from the colon.