The Digestive System

Learning Objectives
• the supply of nutrients in a form that can be used in cells is facilitated by the
structure and function of the digestive system at the cell, tissue and organ levels
• digestion involves the breakdown of large molecules to smaller ones by
mechanical digestion (teeth, peristalsis, churning and bile) and chemical digestion
• the salivary glands, pancreas, liver and gall bladder produce or store secretions
which aid the processes of digestion
• absorption requires nutrients to be in a form that can cross cell membranes into
the blood or lymph and occurs at different locations, including the small intestine
and large intestine
• elimination removes undigested materials and some metabolic wastes from the
body
Functions • Ingestion of food

• Mechanical digestion

• Chemical digestion

• Movement of food

• Absorption of digested food

• Elimination of waste.
 Structure
• One 9m long continuous tube.

• Has four layers in wall.

• AKA alimentary canal.

 Mouth (b)
• Point of ingestion

• Mechanical digestion - teeth and

tongue undertake mastication.

• Chemical digestion – salivary glands

produce salivary amylase which
breaks down long polysaccharides
into short polysaccharides.
 Pharynx (i)
• After being chewed, food
is formed into a ball -
bolus.

• Tongue pushes bolus to

back of mouth and into
pharynx to swallow.
 Oesophagus (j)
• Bolus is pushed down the oesophagus by muscle waves called
peristalsis.
 Stomach (l)
• Mechanical digestion - muscular churning mixes food with
gastric juices creating chyme.
• Chemical digestion of protein into
polypeptides by gastric protease.
 Duodenum (e)
• Mechanical digestion:
segmentation and lipid
emulsification by bile.
Chemical digestion through:
• pancreatic amylase
(polysaccharides to
disaccharides)

• Pancreatic lipase (lipids to fatty

acids and glycerol)

• Pancreatic protease
(polypeptides into dipeptides).
 Pancreas (m)

• Secretes pancreatic juice

• Also controls blood insulin levels.
 Liver (c)

• Produces bile for fat emulsification.

 Gallbladder (d)

• Stores bile and carries it to

duodenum
 Jejunum (o) and Ileum (f)

• Mechanical digestion through

segmentation
• Chemical digestion- intestinal glands make:
o Intestinal amylase - disaccharides to
glucose

o Intestinal lipase - lipids to fatty acids and

glycerol

o Intestinal protease - dipeptides into

amino acids
• Also has “finger-like” folds called villi, villi
have “fingers” on them called microvilli.

• This increases surface area for absorption.

• Glucose, amino acids, water
and minerals are absorbed into
the capillaries of villi and enter
the blood.
• Fatty acids and glycerol are
absorbed into the lacteals of villi
and enter the lymph.
 Colon (n)
• Absorbs water, water soluble
vitamins and salts.

• Glands in walls produce mucous for

lubrication.

• Movement through peristalsis.

 Rectum (p) and Anus (h)
• Rectum stores faeces.

• Anal sphincter muscles open

allowing waste to be expelled.

• Faeces exit body via anus –

defaecation.