Objectives:

By the end of this presentation you shall be able

to:
• define digestion
• types of digestion
• identify the anatomical structure of the
digestive system
• know the components of the digestive system
• know the functions various
scomponents/organs involved in the digestion of
food and elimination of wastes
• know some common diseases of the GIT.
TEAM OF RESEARCHERS, G1
COMAHS – P2.
1. Andrew Washington (leader)
2. James F Kissei
3. Muhammed Adama Fauziyat
4. Aisata Mamie Dauda
5. Meshack Bangura
6. Issa Kamara
7. Mohamed M Dauda
8. James Lahai Rogers
9. Abdul Akim Kamara
10. Ben S Mendekia
Digestion:
it is the organic process by which food is converted
into substances that can be absorbed into the body
cells. Digestion takes place within the lumen of the
alimentary canal or the cells lining the tract.

Types of digestion:
Mechanical digestion – muscular movement of the
digestive tract (mainly in the oral cavity and stomach)
physically break down food into smaller particles .
Chemical digestion – hydrolysis reactions aided by
enzymes (mainly in the stomach and small intestine)
chemically break down food particles into nutrient
molecules , small enough to be absorbed.
Digestive Process
 ingestion – the oral cavity allows food to enter the
digestive
tract and have mastication (chewing) occurs , and the
resulting food bolus is swallowed
 Secretion – enzymes and digestive fluids secreted by
the digestive tract and its accessory organs facilitate
chemical digestion.
 Absorption – passage of the end – products
(nutrients) of chemical digestion from the digestive
tract into blood or lymph for distribution to tissue
cells.
 Elimination – undigested material will be released
through the rectum and anus by defecation.
 STRUCTURE OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
Organs of the Digestive System
 Mouth
 Salivary glands
 Pharynx
 Esophagus
 Stomach
 Liver
 Gallbladder (GB)
 Pancreas
 Small intestine
 Large intestine
 Rectum
 Anus
 THE MOUTH
The mouth or oral cavity, the first part o the tract, is line by a
mucous membrane that secretes mucus to mix with the food.
 facilitates food movement through the pharynx and esophagus

 the tongue, teeth, and salivary glands are contained

within the mouth
 3 types of salivary glands are:
I. Parotid gland
II. Sublingual glands
III. Submaxillary/submandibular glands
Salivary Glands
Produce saliva

Allow food to be
Three pairs swallowed without
Parotid glands choking
Sublingual glands Saliva + food =
Submaxillary glands bolus
Contain amylase
that begins
digestion of
carbohydrates
the 3 types of salivary glands have their ducts open in
the mouth
Parotid produce the enzyme Ptyalin to help digest
carbs
The sublingual secretes only mucus, the
submaxillary produces both the watery and mucous
secretion.
The secretions of the salivary glands and the oral
mucosa collectively form the saliva
 PHARYNX

After the food leaves the mouth it enters the

oropharynx
Laryngopharynx

Epiglottis
Covers the larynx and trachea
Food is shunted away from the lungs into
esophagus
ESOPHAGUS
Muscular tube

10 inches long in adults

Food enters from pharynx

Delivered to the stomach

Propelled along by wavelike muscular
movements
Peristalsis
Pushes food through the entire gut tube
 DIGESTION IN THE STOMACH

The stomach is a large ovoid sac that lies transversely across

the abdomen and beneath the diaphragm on the left side.
The anterior surface of the stomach is concave whilst the
posterior is convex.
Once in the stomach, food is acted by gastric juice secreted
by
gastric glands situated in the thick stomach wall . Gastric
juice
contains mucus, hydrochloric acid and two main enzymes;
pepsin and rennin.
Pepsin breaks down proteins into short polypeptides chains.
Rennin coagulate the soluble caseinogens(soluble protein of
milk) into insoluble casein which forms a curd which is then
acted on by pepsin
 The hydrochloric acid will stops the activities of the
salivary
amylase; destroys most bacteria present in the food;
dissolve swallowed bones and create an optimum PH for
pepsin to act.
Mucus helps lubricate movement of food within the
stomach & and prevents pepsin and hydrochloric acid from
digesting the walls of the stomach.
The food will remain in the stomach for about 3-4 hrs. The
muscles of the stomach wall thoroughly mix the up the
food with gastric juice to form a semi-liquid mass called
chyme.
The peristaltic contraction of the stomach keep the chyme
moving to wards the duodenum, the first loop of the small
intestine.
 The stomach secretes gastric juice that contains
enzymes, biological catalysts that act on protein.
 Gastric juice also contains hydrochloric acid,
which activates these enzymes.
 The acidic gastric contents would be very irritating
to the stomach lining if the lining were not
protected by a thick covering of mucus. A great
deal of moistening and mixing occurs within the
stomach.
 Sphincters
 Muscular valves
 Control flow of food in one direction only
 Cardiac sphincter located near the heart
 Lower esophageal sphincter keeps food
from backing up into the esophagus
 Pyloric sphincter opens and closes
– Allows small amount of highly acidic chyme to
enter small intestines at a time
– Pylor/o means gatekeeper
THE SMALL INTESTINE IS A CONVOLUTED TUBE, 6 TO 7 METERS. IT
EXTENDS FROM THE PYLORIC SPHINCTER THAT SEPARATE IT FROM THE
STOMACH TO THE ILEOCECAL VALVE THAT SEPARATE IT FROM THE
COLON.
THE SMALL INTESTINE IS SUSPENDED BY A DOUBLE LAYER OF
PERITONEUM, THE FAN SHAPED MESENTERY, FROM THE POSTERIOR
ABDOMINAL CAVITY AND LIES FRAMED LATERALLY AND SUPERIORLY BY
THE LARGE INTESTINE, IN THE ABDOMINAL CAVITY. IT HAS LAYERS LIKE
SEROSA, SUBSEROSA AND THE MUCOSA.

By. Mohamed M. Dauda

10157
THE SMALL INTESTINE HAS THREE
SUBDIVISIONS:

1.THE DUODENUM: IT EXTENDS FROM THE

PYLORIC SPHINCTER FOR ABOUT 25 CM AND
CURVE AROUND THE HEAD OF THE PANCREAS.
MOST OF THE DUODENUM LIES IN A
RETROPERITONEAL POSITION.

2. THE JEJUNUM: IT CONTINUOUS WITH THE

DUODENUM , EXTENDS ABOUT 2.5 M MOST OF THE
JEJUNUM OCCUPIES THE UMBILICAL REGION OF
THE ABDOMEN CAVITY.
3. Ileum: it is the terminal portion of the small intestine which
about 3.6m long and joins the large intestine at the ileocecal
valve. It is locate inferiorly a more towards the right in the
abdominal cavity grater in hypogastric area.
The basic functional of the small intestine is the villi through
which absorptions occurs
The small intestine get it blood supply from aorta
through the mesenteric arteries and veins superiorly
and inferiorly.
The liver and pancreas are major accessory organs in
the digestive system. They produces enzymes like
bile and pancreatic juice to continue the chemical
digestion in the small intestine via the sphincter of
oddi.
However, 85 to 90 % of digestion and absorptions
occurs in the small intestine.
 Regulation of GI Tract Activities

Autonomic nervous system

-parasympathetic nerves stimulate the small intestine
activities .
- sympathetic nerves inhibit the small intestine activities
.
Hormonal control
- hormones from endocrine gland and from GI tract itself
help regulate GI tract activities .
Reflex mechanism
- regions of the GI tract (especially the stomach and small
intestine) use reflexes to stimulate or inhibit one another .
Secretions of small intestine:
a. Intestinal glands secrete a watery fluid that lack digestive
enzymes but provides a vehicle for moving chyme to villi
.Intestinal enzymes include

maltase digests maltose into glucose. sucrose digests

sucrose into glucose and fructose . lactase digests sucrose
into glucose and glucose. peptidases digest peptides into
amino acids . lipases digest triglycerides into fatty acids and
glycerol . Nucleases digest nucleotides into nitrogenous
bases. Enterokinase converts trypsinogen into trypsin.
 Liver
Large organ
Located in right upper quadrant of
abdomen
Processes nutrients
Detoxifies harmful substances
Produces bile
 Emulsification
Gallbladder
Stores bile released from common bile duct
Gallstones form when the bile contains too much
cholesterol.
 Higher incidence in women
 Obesity increases risk
Pancreas
Produces pancreatic enzymes
Chemically digest:
– Carbohydrates

– Fats

– Proteins

Also an endocrine gland

Produces insulin and glucagon
– Regulate levels of glucose in blood
The large intestine has little or no digestive
function ,although it secrets mucus. Its mucosa
has no villa or microvillus, but it contains
numerous goblet cells which aids in the
formation of feces and maintain an alkaline
condition.
Mechanical stimulation and parasympathetic
impulses control the rate of mucus secretion
It absorbs only water, electrolytes, and some
vitamins.
 The large intestine is the last segment of the GI tract,
with a large diameter (2-3 inches),extending from the
ileocaecal valve to the anus. It is fixed within the
abdominal cavity and has no villi or folds
 It is divided into caecum, ascending colon,
transverse colon, descending colon, sigmoid
colon, rectum, anal canal and anus
 CAECUM
 The caecum is a pouch or tube like structure in
the lower abdominal cavity that receives
undigested food materials from the small
intestine.
 First region of the large intestines and separated
from the ileum by the ileocaecal valve which
limits the rate of food passage into the caecum
and prevents materials from returning to the
small intestines
 COLON
 Ascending colon :it is the first part just after the
caecum that ascends
 Transverse colon :it runs horizontally just after the
ascending colon
 Descending colon: it descends down to a curved part
called the sigmoid colon
 Sigmoid colon: small narrow curved part with an S
shape structure
 RECTUM
 It is the last stop before the feces are
eliminated through the anus. It serves as
temporal holding sites of feces .
 ANUS
 It serves as the end of the GI tract through
which feces are expelled from the body. It is
specialized to let you know the rectal content
as to whether it is solid, liquid, or gas .
 The large intestine has little or no digestive
function ,although it secrets mucus. Its mucosa
has no villa or microvillus, but it contains
numerous goblet cells which aids in the
formation of feces and maintain an alkaline
condition.
 Mechanical stimulation and parasympathetic
impulses control the rate of mucus secretion
 It absorbs only water, electrolytes, and some
vitamins.
 Absorption of Food Nutrients
 As Absorption is the passage of the end product of food
nutrients, Chemical digestion from the Digestive tract into
the bloodstreams for the distribution to various Tissue
and Cells. The discussion of Chemical digestions and
absorption cannot be properly laid to rest without
mentioning the roles of Enzymes which are of keen
importance to the breakdown of Food Nutrient. As
Chemical digestions and Absorption can be traced from
the onset of digestions which is the mouth where Enzymes
like “Ptyalin”, which is been secreted by the Salivary
glands aids the conversion of cooked starch to a
disaccharides Maltose.

31
The Peristaltic motion of the “Bolus” into the stomach
enrolled the functions of two distinct Enzymes like
“Pepsin” and “Renin”, which are been secreted from the
“Gastric glands” of the stomach. The role of the “Renin”
is to curdled milk while “Pepsin” converts proteins to
“Peptones”. At the exist from the stomach, the food now
looks like a watery paste called “Chyme”. Also on entry
into the Duodenum walls of the small intestine, where it
secrets Pancreatic enzymes such as Pancreatic Lipase,
Pancreatic Amylase and Pancreatic Trypsin.
Firstly, Lipase converts Fats and Oil into Fatty acids and
Glycerol. Secondly, the Amylase converts starch to
Maltose. Thirdly, the Trypsin converts Pepstones to
Polypeptides. At this juncture, other Enzymes secreted by
the succus entricus in the small intestine such as Erepsin,
Lipase, Maltase, Sucrase and Lactase which works on the
Food Nutrients.
1. Erepsin converts Polypeptides to Amino acids.
2. Lipase converts Fatty acids and Glycerol to Glycogen.
3. Maltase converts Maltose to Glucose.
4. Sucrase converts Sucrose to Glucose and Fructose.
5. And lastly Lactase converts Lactose to Glucose and
Galactose.
However, it’s true that all the sample Sugars and
Amino acids are been absorbed by diffusion and
active transport processes through the Epithelial cells
of the Villi and micro Villi into the Blood capillaries.
Finally, they are transported through the Hepatic
portal veins to the Liver. Fatty acids recombine with
Glycerol to form Fats, which are transported through
the Lacteal into the Lymphatic System.
ASSIMILATION OF NUTRIENTS

 Assimilation is the utilization of all

the food nutrients that has been
absorbed.
 The nutrients are :
Carbohydrates - monosaccharides
Proteins - amino acids
Fats - lipids
ASSIMILATION OF MONOSACCHARIDES
 In the assimilation of carbohydrates, its
end products (glucose) are transported
to liver through the hepatic portal vein
and then utilization begins.
 Carbohydrates as we all know is the main source of the
body’s energy.
 Glucose

cells( ATP generation) glycogen

stored as reserve in
liver & muscles
 AMINO ACIDS
 Just like monosaccharides, absorbed amino acids are
also transported to the liver through the hepatic portal
vein for utilization.
 In the liver, the following processes occur:
 Required amino acids are converted into proteins.
 These proteins will be used in the formation of plasma
membranes, protoplasm, enzymes and sometimes
hormones.
 Some of the amino acids which are not required by
the body undergo a process called deamination.
 After deamination, they are converted into
glucose(sugar) and fat and they can be stored until
needed.
 Some are also converted into ammonia after they have
been deaminated.
 ammonia + carbondioxide urea
 FATS
 Fat is also transported to the liver through the hepatic
portal vein.
 The liver will send required fats for the formation of
plasma membrane.
 Some of the fats are stored under the skin.
 The fat deposited is mainly stored in the adipose
tissue.
Disorders of the digestive system have
serious consequences for the activity of the
organism as a whole. This is because it
communicate with the external
environment through the intake of fluids
and food. Some most common disorders
and diseases of the GIT system are:
 Jaundice
 Cirrhosis
 Hepatitis
 Stomach ulcer
 Lactose intolerance
 Indigestion
Jaundice a yellow or orange discoloration
of the skin, tissues, and the white of the
eyes. Is caused by the build-up of bilirubin.
The red blood cells hemolyze, and an excess of bilirubin results
from the breakdown of released hemoglobin. Abnormal
discoloration follows.
Cirrhosis a chronic destruction of liver cells and
tissues with a nodular, bumpy regeneration. It is
also called portal, laennec, or fatty nutritional
cirrhosis (an accumulation of fat often develops
within the liver.
Hepatitis or inflammation of the liver, is caused
by a number of factors. Several viruses have been
identified as causing hepatitis.
Ulcers are lesions of any body surface necrotic
tissue forms as a result of inflammation and is
sloughed off, leaving a hole. Ulcers of the stomach
are called peptic ulcers and those of the small
intestine are duodenal ulcers.
In the normal liver, there is a highly organized
arrangement of cells, blood vessels, and bile ducts.
A cirrhotic liver loses this organization
Lactose intolerance occurs when an
enzyme called lactase is not produced in
appreciable amount by the small
intestine. When this happens the
undigested lactose move to the large
intestine causing bloating, diarrhea and
gas.
Indigestion is said to occur when
complex organic food substances
ingested fail to be hydrolyzed by the
help of digestive enzymes into
absorbable substances.
REFERENCE READING
 Anatomy and Physiology by elaine marieb
 Anatomy and physiology by rose and willson
 Text book of Medical Physiology by Guyton and Hall
 Wikipedia