Lesson 4

The Digestive System

Structure
Lesson Objectives
• Identify the positions of the main organs on a
diagram of the digestive system.
• Describe the functions of the organs in the system
• Explain how the small intestine is adapted for its
function
Introduction

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5lyQUtq1KQ
The Digestive
System
Name the organs
which form the
digestive system
 Liver
Label your organs Oesophagus
Rectum
Stomach
A Gall bladder
Salivary
B glands
Appendix
Pancreas
K C Large
J D intestine
E
I
Small
H F
intestine
G Anus
Extension task – Link functions
You need to describe (in any format you like) the journey of a BLT
sandwich as it is digested. You must follow the criteria given to
reach the best grade (LIVE merits available)

• List the nutrients in the sandwich

• Describe the parts of the digestive system the sandwich travels
through
• Explain what enzymes are and where they are released from
• Explain in detail how the stomach breaks down the food
including the roles of the main tissue types
• Explain which enzymes break down which nutrients from the
sandwich and what they are broken down into
• Illustrate with annotations the process by which these nutrients
are absorbed into the small intestine
Function of the digestive system
fill in the missing information about the digestive system.

Part of digestive Function pH (acidic, neutral Additional

system or alkaline) information
Physically breaks up Neutral
food (chewing)

Stomach

Liver --- Bile neutralises stomach

acid

Pancreas ---

Small intestine Absorbs digested food

Absorbs water Slightly acidic to neutral
Rectum/anus Stores faeces Slightly acidic to neutral
Tissues of the stomach
Three of the tissue types in the stomach are especially
important to helping the stomach to carry out digestion
Tissue in the Function
stomach
epithelium forms a lining and a covering layer of the
stomach to protect the muscle from acid
muscle mixes the stomach contents – food and
digestive juices – by contracting and relaxing
glandular produces chemicals including enzymes and
stomach acid to help digestion
 The Small
Intestine
• Villi are very small folds of the
lining in the small intestine
(5mm long).
• The small molecules of food
made during digestion are
absorbed into the blood
through the villi by diffusion
• The villi greatly increase the
surface area of the small
intestine, meaning that more
food can be absorbed at once
 The Stomach
After food is swallowed, it enters the stomach.

food enters from the gullet

muscle tissue
food leaves the stomach
In the stomach:
 the chemical and physical breakdown of food begins
 The stomach muscles churn the food
 Protease enzyme is released to break down proteins
 Hydrochloric acid (pH 2) is released to kill microbes and
help protease to work
 The Small Intestine
From the stomach, food enters the small intestine where
digestion is completed liver stomach

The pancreas releases enzymes

into the small intestine to break
down the food into smaller
soluble molecules

The small digested food molecules

are absorbed into the bloodstream
through the villi which are folds in large
the small intestine wall small intestine
intestine
The Large Intestine
Any undigested food travels to the large intestine.
liver stomach

Water is absorbed in the large

intestine into the bloodstream.

Undigested waste travels to the

rectum where it is stored until
leaving the body through the anus.
large
small intestine
intestine
 The Liver
Food does not enter the liver.
liver stomach
The liver produces bile which is
stored in the gall bladder and
released into the small intestine.
This chemical:
– neutralizes stomach acid
– breaks down (emulsifies) fat
into small droplets to make it
easier to digest

large
small intestine
intestine
 Enzymes
Digestive enzymes are produced by specialised cells
throughout the digestive system and released from them into
the gut, where they catalyse the breakdown of food molecules.

Enzyme Reaction catalysed Where produced

Salivary glands, pancreas, small
Amylase Starch → sugars intestine

Stomach, pancreas, small

Protease Proteins → amino acids intestine

Lipase Lipids → fatty acids + glycerol Pancreas, small intestine