DIGESTIVE

SYSTEM
 DIGESTION
• It refers to the breakdown of food into smaller
components that can be absorbed into bloodstream
• Also known as catabolism
• Teeth grind and break up food (mechanical), while an
enzyme in saliva called amylase begins to break down
carbohydrates (chemical).
• After the food is swallowed, the chewed food which is
called bolus, moves down the esophagus.
• The esophagus acts as a connection between the mouth
and the stomach.
TWO TYPES OF DIGESTION
• Mechanical Digestion – it occurs in the
mouth when food is physically broken
up into smaller pieces
• Chemical Digestion – it takes place in
the gastrointestinal tract when the
digestive enzymes break down the
food into small molecules
ROLE OF DIGESTION
•MOVEMENT
•GROWTH
•REPAIR
•REPRODUCTION
 PROCESS
OF
DIGESTION
A. INGESTION
• It is the first process that
happens in digestive
system.
• It is the journey of taking
in food or any substance
into the body through the
mouth.
• The journey of food starts
when a bit of hamburger
enters your mouth.
B. DIGESTION
 C. Absorption
• It occurs mostly in the small intestine where several digestive
juices, pancreatic juice, and bile aid in the chemical digestion of
food.
• Absorption is the process of passing the soluble food molecules
in the wall of the small intestine through the villi – the tiny,
finger-like projections from the epithelial lining of the intestinal
wall.
• Each villus contains blood capillaries that enable it to absorb
water, glucose, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and fatty acids.
• It also increases the amount of surface area available for the
absorption of nutrients.
 D. Assimilation
• It is the movement of digested food nutrients into the
blood vessels of the small intestine through diffusion
and use of nutrients into the body cells through the
microvilli – microscopic cellular membrane projections
that serves to expand the surface area for diffusion and
also to lessen any increase in volume.
• The third part of the small intestine is the ileum which is
about 3.5 meters in length.
• Its main function is the assimilation (absorption) and the
re-assimilation (reabsorption) of conjugated bile salts
 E. Egestion
•It is the release of undigested
food collected in the rectum
called feces and pushed out of
the body through the anus by
defecation.
PARTS OF
DIGESTIVE
SYSTEM
 1. The Mouth
• Digestion in human starts in the mouth where
food is chewed and broken down to smaller
pieces for easier digestion.
• This is carried out by molecules that speed up
chemical reactions called enzymes.
• Amylase, an enzyme present in saliva helps
break down carbohydrates, which are large
complex molecules, into simple ones that can be
used by the body.
 2. The Pharynx
• The pharynx muscular walls function in the process of
swallowing. and it serves as a pathway for the movement
of food from the mouth to the esophagus.
• The constrictive circular muscles of the pharynx's outer
layer play a big role in peristalsis.
• A series of contractions will help propel ingested food and
drink down the intestinal tract safely.
• The Inner layer's longitudinal muscles, on the other hand,
will widen the pharynx laterally and lift it upward, thus
allowing the swallowing of ingested food and drink.
 3. The Esophagus
•Approximately, the esophagus is
20 cm long.
•Its functions include secreting
mucus and moving food from the
throat to the stomach using muscle
movement called peristalsis.
 4. The Stomach
• The stomach is a J-shaped muscular bag
that stores the food and breaks it down into
tiny pieces.
• It mixes food with gastric juices that contain
enzymes to break down proteins and lipids.
• Hydrochloric acid in the stomach kills
bacteria.
• Food found in the stomach is called chyme.
5. Small Intestine
• It is a little over 5 meters long and lies in the
abdominal cavity surrounded by the large
intestine.
• In the small intestine, the chemical digestion of
food is completed and most of the absorption
of nutrients takes place.
• Lining of intestine walls has finger- like
projections called villi, to increase surface area.
 The small intestine
comprises three main
sections continuous
with each other:
A. The Duodenum
• It is located between the part of the small
intestine, or jejunum.
• After foods mix stomach acid, they move
duodenum, where they mix bile from the
gallbladder and digestive juices from the
absorption of vitamins, minerals, and
other nutrients begins in the duodenum.
 B. The Jejunum
•It is the middle section of the small
intestine and is about 2 meters long.
•The main function of the jejunum is
absorption of important nutrients
such as sugars, fatty acids, and
amino acids.
 C. The Ileum
• It connects to the cecum (first part of the
large intestine) and helps to further digest
food coming from the stomach and other
parts of the small intestine.
• In addition, ileum absorbs nutrients
(vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, fats,
proteins) and water from food so they can
be used by the body.
6. Large Intestine
• The long, tube-like organ that is
connected to the small intestine at one
end and the anus at the other.
• The large intestine has four parts: cecum,
colon, rectum, and anal canal.
• Partly digested food moves through the
cecum into the colon,
 7. The Rectum
• The rectum is a straight, 8-inch chamber that connects
the colon to the anus.
• The rectum's job is to receive stool from the colon, let
you know that there is stool to be evacuated (pooped
out) and to hold the stool until evacuation happens.
• When anything (gas or stool) comes into the rectum,
sensors send a message to the brain.
• The brain then decides if the rectal contents can be
released or not.
 8. Anus
• The anus is the last part of the digestive tract.
• It is a 2-inch long canal consisting of the pelvic
floor muscles and the two anal sphincters
(internal and external).
• The lining of the upper anus is able to detect
rectal contents.
• It lets you know whether the contents are
liquid, gas or solid.
 Accessory
Organs of The
Human Digestive
System
1. The Teeth
• The teeth are responsible for the
mechanical digestion of food in the
mouth a process called mastication.
• Our teeth are classified into four
types and each performs specific
functions.
•The chisel-shaped frontal teeth are
called incisors which is specialized in
cutting.
•The fang- like teeth are called canine
and are best for piercing and
tearing.
•The premolars and molars are the
teeth responsible for crushing and
grinding.
 2. The Salivary Glands
• Salivary glands are present in the oral cavity and pour their
secretions into the mouth.
• Saliva is the combined secretions from the salivary glands and
the small mucus-secreting glands of the lining of the oral cavity.
• About 1.5 liters of saliva is produced daily.
• Saliva contains the enzyme amylase that begins the breakdown
of complex sugars, reducing them to the disaccharide maltose.
• Dry food entering the mouth is moistened and lubricated by
saliva before it can be made into a bolus ready for swallowing.
 3. The Pancreas
• A healthy pancreas produces the correct chemicals in
the proper quantities, at the right times, to digest the
foods we eat.
• The pancreas secretes enzymes that work in tandem
with bile from the liver and gallbladder to help break
down substances for proper digestion and absorption.
• These enzymes include trypsin and chymotrypsin to
digest proteins; amylase for the digestion of
carbohydrates; and lipase to break down fats.
 4. The Liver
• It is the largest gland in the body,
weighing between 1 and 2.3 kg.
• It is situated in the upper part of the
abdominal cavity.
• The liver directly affects digestion by
producing bile. Bile helps digest fat.
 5. Gall bladder
•The gall bladder is a small, thin-
walled sac located beneath the liver.
•This organ stores and concentrates
the bile produced in the liver which
will be then used in the digestion of
lipids.