8.

2 # Human Digestive System

1. Main Regions of the Digestive System:

❖ Mouth:
➔ Function: The mouth is a complex structure involving
mechanical and chemical digestion. Teeth break down food
mechanically, while salivary glands produce saliva
containing amylase for initial starch digestion.
❖ Salivary Glands:
➔ Function: Salivary glands release saliva, which contains
enzymes like amylase that initiate the breakdown of complex
carbohydrates into simpler sugars.
❖ Oesophagus:
➔ Function: The oesophagus, a muscular tube, facilitates the
movement of chewed and moistened food (bolus) from the
mouth to the stomach through peristaltic contractions.
❖ Stomach:
➔ Function: The stomach, with its acidic environment,
plays a pivotal role in protein digestion. Gastric juices,
including hydrochloric acid and pepsin, break down
proteins into peptides.

❖ Small Intestine (Duodenum and Ileum):

➔ Duodenum Function: Receives bile from the liver and
pancreatic enzymes, continuing the digestion of fats,
proteins, and carbohydrates.
➔ Ileum Function: Primarily responsible for the absorption of
nutrients, including the products of digestion.
 ➔ Pancreas: The pancreas secretes various digestive enzymes,
including amylase, lipase, and trypsin, contributing to the
breakdown of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins.
➔ Liver: The liver produces bile, essential for emulsifying fats
and increasing their surface area for efficient enzymatic
digestion.
➔ Gallbladder: The gallbladder stores and releases bile into
the small intestine when needed for fat digestion.

❖ Large Intestine (Colon, Rectum, and Anus):

➔ Colon Function: Absorbs water and electrolytes from
undigested food, forming feces. The rectum stores feces until
elimination through the anus.
➔ Rectum Function: The rectum serves as a temporary storage
site for formed feces, allowing for the gradual absorption of
water before elimination.
➔ Anus Function: The anus is the muscular opening at the end
of the digestive tract, facilitating the controlled release of
feces from the body during voluntary bowel movements.

2. Importance of Digestion Before Absorption:

❖ Reasons:
➔ Complex Structures: Many foods consist of complex
macromolecules such as polysaccharides, proteins, and
triglycerides that need to be broken down into simpler forms
(monosaccharides, amino acids, fatty acids) for efficient
absorption.
➔ Absorption Efficiency: Smaller molecules have a higher
surface area, facilitating more effective absorption through
the lining of the digestive tract.
3. Physical Digestion:
➔ Definition: Physical digestion involves the mechanical
breakdown of food into smaller particles without altering the
chemical composition of the food molecules.
➔ Examples: Chewing in the mouth, churning in the stomach.
These processes increase the surface area of food, aiding
subsequent chemical digestion.

4. Chemical Digestion:
➔ Definition: Chemical digestion is the enzymatic breakdown
of large molecules into smaller, absorbable molecules.
➔ Examples: Enzymes in the stomach break down proteins
into peptides, amylase converts starch into sugars in the
mouth, and lipase breaks down fats in the small intestine.

5. Physical Digestion and Enzymes:

❖ Importance:
➔ Physical digestion, such as chewing, increases the surface
area of food particles. This facilitates the action of enzymes
in chemical digestion, allowing them to work more effectively
on smaller particles.
➔ Increased surface area promotes a more efficient enzymatic
breakdown of complex molecules.

6. Types of Human Teeth:

1. Incisors: Sharp, chisel-shaped for cutting and biting food.
2. Canines: Pointed, tearing, and holding food.
3. Premolars: Broad surfaces for grinding and crushing food.
4. Molars: Large, flat surfaces for crushing and grinding tough
food.
7. Structure of Human Teeth:

➔ Enamel: The hard, outer layer protecting teeth from wear

and tear.

➔ Dentine: Dense, calcified tissue providing structural support.

➔ Pulp: Contains nerves and blood vessels, facilitating sensory

response and nutrient supply to the tooth.

➔ Nerves: Transmit sensory information, including pain.

➔ Cement: Connects teeth to the jawbone, ensuring stability.

➔ Gum: Surrounds and supports teeth, providing a protective

seal.
8. Functions of Human Teeth in Physical
Digestion:
1. Incisors: Cutting and shearing food into manageable pieces.
2. Canines: Tearing and holding onto food for further
processing.
3. Premolars and Molars: Crushing and grinding food into a
finer consistency for easier digestion.