Chapter 11 – DIGESTIVE SYSTEM - Class 9 – CONSICE BIOLOGY - Morning Star Page 1 of 14

Progress Check 1

Question 1: Given below is a jumbled sequence of the different parts of the human alimentary canal. Rewrite
them in correct sequence.

Stomach, Oesophagus, Large intestine, Small intestine, Pharynx.

Answer: Pharynx → Oesophagus → Stomach → Small intestine → Large intestine

Question 2: Give the technical names for the following types of teeth in humans (on each side, in each jaw)

1. The three last grinders. -- Answer: MOLARS

2. The pointed tooth for holding and tearing. -- Answer: CANINE
3. The broad sharp cutting teeth. -- Answer: INCISORS
4. The two temporary (deciduous) grinding teeth. -- Answer: PREMOLAR

Question 3: Name the following parts of a tooth :

1. Part exposed above the gum. Answer: CROWN

2. The hard substance making the covering of the tooth. Answer: ENAMEL
3. The soft connective tissue contained in the central space of the tooth. Answer: PULP
4. Bone-like structure fixing the root in position. Answer: CEMENTUM
5. Slight constriction between the root and the crown. Answer: NECK

Progress Check 2

Question 1: Mention if the following statements are true or false:

1. Saliva moistens and lubricates food. (TRUE)

2. Saliva contains a protein-Starch-digesting enzyme. (FALSE)
3. Saliva tends to destroy germs in the mouth. (TRUE)
4. Peristalsis occurs through all regions of the gut. (TRUE)
5. The food in stomach stays for about 10 hours. (TRUE)
6. Gastric juice is alkaline. (FALSE): Corrected Statement — Gastric juice is acidic.
7. Gastric juice contains pepsinogen. (FALSE) Corrected Statement - Gastric juice contains pepsin and
renin

Question 2: Name the three salivary glands.

Answer:

1. Parotid glands
2. Sub-mandibular glands
3. Sublingual glands

Progress Check 3

Question 1: Mention if the following statements are true (T) or false (F)
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1. Intestinal villi have a lymph vessel called lacteal. (TRUE)

2. Intestine is narrow for fast movement of food. (FALSE) Corrected Statement — Intestine is narrow for
slow movement of food.
3. Large intestine secretes no enzymes. (TRUE)
4. Bile neutralizes the acid content of the food received from the stomach. (TRUE)
5. Pancreatic juice has enzymes to digest all the major components of food. (TRUE)
6. The anus is surrounded by circular muscles. (TRUE)

Question 2: Name the following :

1. The three subdivisions of the small intestine. Answer: Duodenum, Jejunum, Ileum
2. The three subdivisions of the large intestine. Answer: Caecum, Colon, Rectum

Question 3: Name the enzyme which digests :

1. starch in the mouth Answer: Salivary amylase or Ptyalin

2. fats in the ileum Answer: Intestinal lipase
3. protein in duodenum Answer: Trypsin
4. sucrose in the ileum Answer: Sucrase/invertase

Question 4: What are the end-products of digestion of :

1. Proteins Answer: Amino Acid

2. Fats Answer: Fatty acid and Glycerol
3. Starch Answer: Maltose
4. Sucrose Answer: Glucose and Fructose

Progress Check 4

Question 1: Fill in the blanks.

1. Liver stores glucose as glycogen .

2. Liver produces RBC only in embryo.
3. Urea is produced in liver by the deamination of extra amino acid .
4. For testing the action of saliva on starch, the material has to be kept at a temperature of about 38°C.

Progress Check 5

Question 1: Mention the constituent of food if the end result of the test shows :

1. White to yellow and yellow to orange colour. Answer: Protein

2. Turning blue-black after adding iodine solution. Answer: Starch
3. Blue green to deep red with appearance of precipitate. Answer: Glucose
4. Ash that does not burn after continued heating. Answer: Minerals
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Very Short Answer Type

Question 1: What is the dental formula of a normal human adult?

Answer:

Question 2: Mention two reflexes which occur when a person chews and swallows food.

Answer: The two reflexes which occur when a person chews and swallows food are-

1. Reflex when a person chews — Secretion of saliva.

2. Reflex when a person swallows — The tongue presses upward and back against the roof
(palate) of the mouth and this forces the bolus (the ball of chewed food ) into the throat or the
pharynx.

Question 3: Consider the following two statements A & B and select the statements from (i) – (iv) that
hold true.

A. Small intestine is shorter than large intestine.

B. Small intestine is wider than large intestine.

Options:

(i) Both the statements are correct.

(ii) Both the statements are wrong.

(iii) Statement A is correct, B is wrong.

(iv) Statement B is correct, A is wrong.

Answer

The statement that holds true is:

(ii) Both the statements are wrong.

Reason — Small intestine is longer than the large intestine. It is about 7 meters longer while large
intestine is about 1.5 meters long. Large intestine is wider than the small intestine.
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Question 4: Match the terms given in column A with those of column B.

Column A Column B

Ptyalin Proteins and peptides

Rennin Emulsified fat

Erepsin Protein

Steapsin Starch

Pepsin Casein
Answer

Column A Column B

Ptyalin Starch

Rennin Casein

Erepsin Proteins and peptides

Steapsin Emulsified fat

Pepsin Protein

Question 5: Name these:

1. Two main divisions of the digestive system

2. Three digestive glands
3. Three pairs of salivary glands
4. Three parts small intestine
5. Three parts of large intestine

Answer

1. Alimentary canal and digestive glands.

2. Salivary gland, liver and pancreas.
3. Parotid glands, sub-mandibular glands and sublingual glands.
4. Duodenum, Jejunum, Ileum.
5. Caecum, Colon, Rectum.

Question 6: Choose the odd one out and write the category of the remaining terms :

1. Pepsin, Trypsin, Steapsin, Erepsin

2. Lactase, Peptidase, Invertase, Maltase
3. Glucose, Fructose, Galactose, Starch
4. Ileum, Colon, Duodenum, Jejunum
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5. Palate, Crown, Root, Neck

Answer

1. Steapsin is odd one out. Remaining terms (Pepsin, Trypsin and Erepsin) are protein digesting
enzymes.
2. Peptidase is odd one out. Lactase, Invertase and Maltase are sugar digesting enzymes.
3. Starch is odd one out. Glucose, Fructose and Galactose are simple sugar.
4. Colon is odd one out. Ileum, Duodenum and Jejunum are parts of small intestine.
5. Palate is odd one out. Crown, Root and Neck are parts of teeth.

Short Answer Type

Question 1

Define the following terms:

(a) Digestion (b) Enzymes (c) Peristalsis

(d) Dentition (e) Defaecation (f) Assimilation

Answer

(a) Digestion — Digestion is any change which makes the food soluble and of such chemical nature
that it can be absorbed readily through living membranes.

(b) Enzymes — An enzyme is a protein that acts on a specific substance to form a specific end
product. It best acts at a particular temperature and pH.

(c) Peristalsis — It is defined as the rhythmic contraction and relaxation of the muscles of the
alimentary canal which pushes the food along the gut.

(d) Dentition — The arrangement of teeth in a particular species is called dentition.

(e) Defaecation — The expulsion of undigested remains of food from the alimentary canal is called
defaecation.

(f) Assimilation — It is the conversion of the absorbed digested food into body material.

Question 2: What are the end-products of the digestion of: starch, proteins and fats respectively?

Answer: The end products are as follows:

Starch — Maltose
Proteins — Small peptides and amino acids
Fats — Glycerol and fatty acids

Question 3: Write the exact locations of the following :

(a) Liver (b) Sub-mandibular gland (c) Pylorus (d) Pancreas (e) Caecum
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Answer

(a) located in upper right side of abdomen just below the diaphragm.

(b) below the tongue.

(c) between stomach and small intestine.

(d) located behind the stomach.

(e) at junction of large and small intestine.

Question 4: Write the important roles of the following :

(a) Rectum

(b) Gastric juice

(c) Epiglottis

(d) Small intestine

(e) Tongue

Answer

(a) Rectum temporarily stores undigested food and wastes, to be defaecated through the anus.

(b) Gastric juice plays two key roles (i) it kills any germs which may have entered along with the food (ii)
it activates pepsinogen to act on proteins.

(c) Epiglottis closes the opening of wind pipe.

(d) Most of the digestion and absorption of nutrition occur in small intestine.

(e) Tongue helps in mixing of food in buccal cavity and pushes it through pharynx.

Question 5: Give reasons/explain :

(a) Only animals require a digestive system and not plants.

(b) There are no enzymes to digest vitamins.

(c) Thorough chewing of food in mouth is helpful in digestion.

(d) Bile juice does not contain any enzyme but is still important in digestion.

(e) The inner layer of small intestine has a large number of finger-like projections called villi.

Answer

(a) Animals are heterotrophs. They obtain their nutrients by consuming organic matter, such as other
organisms or plant material. Hence, they need a digestive system to break down complex molecules,
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such as proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids, into smaller, absorbable forms. In contrast, plants are
autotrophs, capable of synthesizing their own food through photosynthesis. Hence, they don't require
a digestive system.

(b) Vitamins do not need digestion. They are absorbed directly through the intestine wall.

(c) Chewing of food breaks the food into small particles which helps in easy digestion.

(d) Bile contains a lot of sodium bicarbonate which neutralises the acid content of the food received
from the stomach and makes it alkaline so that pancreatic and intestinal enzymes can act on it.

(e) The villi enormously increase the inner surface area of the intestines which facilitates the
absorption of digested food.

Question 6: What is roughage? Give two examples.

Answer: Roughage is the undigestible portion of the diet. It is a dietary fibre that majorly contains
cellulose. Examples – Green leafy vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts.

Question 7: Mention two ways in which the ileum of a mammal is adapted for the absorption of
digested food.

Answer: The two ways in which the ileum of mammals is adapted for the absorption of digested food
are:

1. Very long to provide much more surface area for absorption.

2. Ileum has numerous villi which further causes the surface area to increase thereby increasing
the quantity of absorption of digested food.

Question 8: The stomach secretes gastric juice, which contains hydrochloric acid. What is its
function?

Answer: Hydrochloric acid performs the following functions in the stomach-

1. It kills any germs which may have entered along with the food.
2. It activates pepsin to act on proteins. Pepsin digests proteins into peptides.

Long Answer Type

Question 1: What are the main characteristics of an enzyme?

Answer: Main characteristics of enzymes are-

1. It is a protein and is, therefore, destroyed by heating.

2. It acts only on one kind of substance called the substrate i.e. it is specific.
3. It always forms the same end-product(s) from the substrate.
4. It only affects the rate of a chemical reaction and always speeds up the reaction.
5. Like a catalyst, it can be used again and again.
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6. It acts best only at a particular pH,i.e. at a particular degree of acidity or alkalinity.

7. It acts best within a narrow temperature range, usually between 35°and 40°C which is also
called the optimum temperature.

Question 2: Why is the small intestine the most important organ of the digestive system?

Answer: The small intestine serves two important functions of digestion and absorption. In the
duodenum, it receives two digestive juices:

1. The bile
2. The pancreatic juice

Both the juices virtually complete the process of digestion of proteins, starch, carbohydrates etc. Once
the food is broken down, the small intestine is responsible to absorb simple particles such as amino
acids, glucose etc.

Question 3: How is the liver an important organ in our body?

Answer: The liver is the largest gland of the body and it performs the following functions:

1. Controls amino acid levels

2. Produces foetal red blood cells
3. Produces heparin and fibrinogen
4. Checks blood volume
5. Destructs dead red blood cells
6. Detoxifies
7. Produces bile
8. Generates heat
9. Controls blood sugar levels
10. Storage of minerals and vitamins
11. Excretes metallic and toxic substances

Question 4: List the enzymes and their action on food in the stomach and intestine.

Answer: The table below shows the different regions, enzymes and the action of the enzymes on the
food -

Name of the
Part of the body Action on food
enzyme

Stomach Pepsin Converts proteins into polypeptides

Small intestine - Acts on proteins peptones and proteases to

Trypsin
Duodenum produce peptides and amino acids.

Amylopectin Acts on starch to produce maltose

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Name of the
Part of the body Action on food
enzyme

Acts on emulsified fats to produce fatty acids and

Steapsin
glycerol

Small intestine - It acts on proteins and peptides to produce

erepsin
Ileum amino acids

Maltase Acts on maltose to produce glucose

Sucrase Acts on sucrose to produce glucose and fructose

Lactase Acts on lactose to produce glucose and galactose

Lipase Acts on fats to produce fatty acids and glycerol

Question 5: You have been supplied with a sample of food. How will you perform tests for the
presence of starch and proteins in it?

Answer: The following tests can be carried out:

Test for starch:

Aim — To detect the presence of starch in the sample

Procedure and Inference —

1. Add some starch powder to a test tube containing water, shake well. Boil well to make a
solution.
2. Add some drops of iodine solutions when the solution cools down.
3. Iodine solution can be prepared by dissolving 1g iodine with 1g potassium iodide in 100ml of
distilled water, dilute this solution before using.
4. The solution in the test tube would turn blur-black indicating the presence of starch.

Test for proteins:

Aim — To detect the presence of proteins in the given sample

Procedure and Inference—

1. In a test tube add a few pieces of the sample (hard-boiled egg)

2. Add a few drops of dilute nitric acid so as to seal the food
3. Gently heat the test tube, rinsing off the acid with water, to this add ammonium hydroxide
4. Observe the changes – from the initial white, color changes to yellow
5. After adding ammonium hydroxide – the color changes from yellow to orange.
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Structured / Application / Skill Type

Question 1: Draw a labelled diagram to show the internal structure of a mammalian tooth with two
roots.

Answer: Below labelled diagram shows the internal structure of a mammalian tooth with two roots :

Question 2: Complete the following table by filling in the blanks 1 to 8.

Organ Enzyme Food acted upon Final product

1 Pepsin 2 3

Mouth 4 5 Disaccharide

6 7 Maltose 8
Answer: 1 – Stomach 2 – Proteins 3 – Polypeptides 4 – Amylase 5 – Starch 6 – Ileum
7 – Maltase 8 – Glucose

Question 3: Study the diagram given below and then answer the questions that follow:

(a) Name the parts labeled 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6.

(b) Identify the tooth and give a reason to support your answer.

(c) Describe the structure of the part labeled '3'.

(d) Give the total number of the type of tooth mentioned in '1' above, in the mouth of an adult and
state its function.

Answer: (a) The parts are-

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 1 → Enamel
 2 → Dentine
 3 → Pulp
 4 → Gum
 5 → Crown
 6 → Cement

(b) The type of teeth shown in the given figure has only one root. Hence it is a canine or incisor that
is used to bite or pierce.

(c) The part labelled '3'(Pulp) is a soft connective tissue present in the pulp cavity of the tooth. It
consists of blood capillaries, lymph vessels and nerve fibres. From the crown of the tooth, the pulp
opens through the pulp cavity at the base of the root.

(d) The type of teeth mentioned in the figure and its function are as follows:

Type of teeth Number of teeth Function

Incisors 8 Used to cut and bite

Canines 4 Used to tear and hold food

Premolars 8 Used to grind and crush food

Molars 12 Used to grind and crush food

Question 4: Study the following dental formula and then answer the questions that follow:

(a) What is the total number of teeth in the (i) upper jaw and (ii) lower jaw?

(b) State the total number of teeth present in the dentition.

(c) Give the dental formula of an adult human being.

Answer

(a) The total number of teeth in the upper jaw are 8 and lower jaw are 12.

(b) The total number of teeth present in the given dentition are 20 teeth.

(c) The dental formula of an adult is as follows:

Human adult: 2,1,2,32,1,2,3=322,1,2,32,1,2,3=32 (permanent teeth with 4 wisdom teeth added)

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Question 5

The figures (A, B, C and D) shown below represent different kinds of teeth in humans. Study the
figures and answer the following questions:

(a) What kind of teeth do A, B, C and D represent ?

(b) Write one structural feature/shape of each.

(c) Mention the number of teeth of each kind in one jaw with their specific position.

(d) Name two minerals present in teeth.

(e) What do you mean by 'Wisdom tooth'?

Answer:

(a)

 A → Incisor
 B → Canine
 C → Premolar
 D → Molar

(b)

 A → Broad and sharp

 B → Conical and sharply pointed
 C → Two hill-like projections(bicuspid)
 D → Large grinding surface

(c)

 A → Four, centre of each jaw

 B → Two, one on each side of incisor
 C → Four, two on side of each canine
 D → Six, three on each side

(d) Calcium and phosphorous.

(e) Last molar on each side of jaw is called wisdom teath.

Question 6: Draw a neat diagram of the "Microscopic Structure of an intestinal villus" and label the
parts given below :
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1. Epithelium
2. Capillaries
3. Lacteals

Answer the following questions :

(a) What is the advantage of having a large number of villi on the inner surface of small intestine ?

(b) Write the important role of lacteals.

(c) Name the juice secreted from the glandular cells of small intestine.

(d) Name the specific secretions of:

1. Salivary gland
2. Stomach
3. Liver
4. Pancreas

Answer : Below is the labelled diagram of the "Microscopic Structure of an intestinal villus":

(a) A large number of villi enormously increase the inner surface area of the small intestine which
facilitates the absorption of digested food.

(b) The fatty acids and glycerol are absorbed into the lacteals to enter the lymphatic system which
forms a network all over the body to ultimately empty its contents into the blood stream.

(c) Intestinal juice

(d)

1. Salivary gland - Saliva (amylase)

2. Stomach - Gastric juice
3. Liver - Bile
4. Pancreas - Pancreatic juice

Question 7: Write the correct word for the items (i) to (viii).
(i) A predator:

GRIET ...............Answer: TIGER

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(ii) Deficiency of Folic acid (B9) produces:

MIAAAEN ............... Answer: ANAEMIA

(iii) A digestive enzyme:

ENPISP ............... Answer: PEPSIN

(iv) A part of tooth:

TEEDINN ............... Answer: DENTINE

(v) Fatty acids are absorbed into:

TACLELAS ............... Answer: LACTEALS

(vi) Maltase acts on:

LESOMAT ............... Answer: MALTOSE

(vii) Excess amino acids are broken down in:

RIVEL ............... Answer: LIVER

(viii) An enzyme which digest starch:

YEALMAS ............... Answer: AMYLASE