Human

digestion
Human digestive system
(General plan)

Accessory
digestive organs
 Sites of digestion
Organ/s Mechanical Carbohydrate digestion Protein Nucleic Acid Lipid
digestion
digestion digestion digestion

Oral cavity Chewing Polysaccharides Disaccharides

Esophagus Peristalsis (starch, glycogen) (sucrose, lactose)
Pharynx
Salivary amylase
Smaller polysaccharides,
maltose
Stomach Churning Proteins
Mixing
Peristalsis Pepsin
Small polypeptides

Small Peristalsis Pancreatic trypsin DNA, RNA Fat globules

intestine Mixing and chymotrypsin
Lumen Polysaccharides Pancreatic Bile salts
Pancreatic amylase Smaller polypeptides nucleases Fat droplets
Nucleotides Pancreatic lipase
Maltose and other
disaccharides Glycerol, fatty
acids, glycerides
Small Small peptides
Nucleotidases
intestine Disaccharidases Dipeptidases,
Nucleosides
Epithelium
carboxypeptidase, Nucleosidases, phosphatases
aminopeptidase
Nitrogenous bases,
Monosaccharides sugars, phosphates
Amino acids
Digestion in the
Mouth

• Salivary glands
– Water
– Some enzymes
• Salivary amylase
• Lysozyme
– Mucus or mucin
• Teeth
Swallowing: from mouth to stomach
Digestion in the
Stomach
 Muscular sac
◦ Churns & mixes
food
 Gastric glands
◦ Parietal cells 
HCl, intrinsic factor
◦ Goblet cells 
mucus
◦ Chief cells 
pepsinogen, weak
gastric lipase
◦ Gastrin
 Hormone
 Controls gastric juices
 Comes out as chyme
(2-6 hours)
Liver
Secretes bile
(stored in gall bladder)
Emulsifies fats

Gallbladder
Stores, concentrates, and
releases bile into
duodenum
Stimulated by the
hormone cholecystokinin
(CCK)
Pancreas
• Exocrine function
• Acinar cells secrete
pancreatic juice
– Amylase
– Lipase
– Trypsin
– Chymotrypsin
– Carboxypeptidase
– Nuclease
– NaHCO3
• Secretin and
cholecystokinin (CCK) fr
intestinal wall stimulates PJ
production
Absorption in the small intestine
Reabsorption and elimination
in the large intestine
• Areas of the colon
• cecum

• rectum

• anus

• Absorption of water
and electrolytes
• Concentration &
elimination of solids
• Home for bacteria
• folic acid
• vitamin K
• several B-vitamins
• gases