Pointers on Animal Nutrition and Digestion

This topic can be broken down into:

o Organs involved in the digestive system,
o Different stages of digestion for the 3 different kinds of nutrients
o Absorption and assimilation of nutrients

Organs involved in the digestive system

1. Know the major parts of the organs in the digestive system and their associated features.

2. For the mouth, know the epiglottis, salivary glands and trachea. Know that the laryx moves up during
swallowing such that the trachea is covered by the epiglottis so as to prevent food particles from entering.

3. For oesophagus, know the four layers-serous coat, muscle layer, submucous coat and mucous layer. Mucous
layer secretes mucus for lubrication of food.

4. Stomach is the place where protein digestion begins and carbohydrates digestion stops. Pyloric sphincter is a
muscular valve controlling the flow of food into small intestine.

5. Small intestine is the place where fat digestion begins and carbohydrates digestion resumes. All digestive
processes completed in the ileum.

6. Liver→ bile, gall bladder→ stores bile, pancreas→ pancreatic juice

7. Large intestine→ absorption of water and mineral salts, storage of faeces which are undigested matter.

Digestion of Carbohydrates
1. Mouth : salivary amylase: carbohydrates→ maltose (2x glucose)

2. Small intestine: ·√ Starch (pancreatic amylase) → maltose (maltase) → glucose

√ Lactose (Lactase) → Glucose + Galactose
√ Sucrose (Sucrase) → Glucose + Fructose
Know the above disaccharides!

Digestion of Proteins
Stomach:
1. Pepsinogen → Pepsin (polypeptides)
Prorenin→ Renin (converts soluble caseinogens into insoluble casein for digestion by pepsin)

Small intestine
Pancreatic Juice
• Pancreatic amylase (carbohydrates)
• Pancreatic Lipase
• Trypsinogen (any enzyme ending with “nogen” is inactive)

Intestinal Juice
• Enterokinase (converts trypsinogen into trypsin)
• Erepsin (polypeptides)
• Maltase, Sucrase, Lactase
• Intestinal Lipase

Digestion of Fats
-Role of bile in the physical breakdown of fats
-Fats are digested by both the intestinal lipase and pancreatic lipase

Absorption
1. Structure of a villus and microvilli as minute extensions on epithelial cells
-Active transport-absorption of glucose and amino acids. Explain the concept of active transport.
--Diffusion of glycerol, fatty acids+ bile = soaps
2. Show an understanding of the nature of lymph and its constituents.

Assimilation
1. Hepatic portal vein

2. Glucose → glycogen

3. Fats →Chyle→ Liver → Adipose tissues

4. Functions of the liver ( F U C A R)

Fats metabolism
Urea and amino acids
Carbohydrates metabolism
Alcohol breakdown
RBC breakdown