Sure!
Here's the most detailed explanation of digestive glands from Class 10 (CBSE),
covering:
● What they secrete
● Where and how they work
● Their exact location of secretion
● The substrate they act on
● The end products of digestion
🔬 Digestive Glands – In-Depth Explanation
Digestive glands are specialized organs that produce enzymes, acids, or other fluids to
chemically break down complex food substances into simple absorbable forms.
✅ Objective of Digestion:
To convert complex food → simple soluble molecules that can be absorbed by the small
intestine and transported to cells via blood.
🌟 Major Digestive Glands
1. 🧂 Salivary Glands
● Location: In the mouth; there are 3 pairs:
○ Parotid (near ears)
○ Submandibular (under jaw)
○ Sublingual (under tongue)
● Secretion: Saliva (contains salivary amylase also called ptyalin)
● pH: Slightly alkaline (6.8–7.2)
● Substrate: Starch (polysaccharide)
● Enzyme: Salivary amylase
● End Product: Maltose (a disaccharide)
● Point of Action: In the buccal cavity (mouth)
2. 🍲 Gastric Glands
● Location: Present in the inner lining of the stomach
● Secretions:
○ Hydrochloric acid (HCl) – creates acidic pH (~1.5–3.5)
○ Pepsinogen – converted to pepsin in acidic medium
○ Mucus – protects stomach lining from HCl
● Enzyme: Pepsin
● Substrate: Proteins
● End Product: Peptones and proteoses (partially digested proteins)
● Point of Action: Stomach cavity
3. 🏭 Liver
● Location: Upper right side of the abdomen, largest gland in the body
● Secretion: Bile juice (stored in the gallbladder and released into the duodenum of the
small intestine via bile duct)
● Important Component: Bile salts (no enzymes)
● Function:
○ Emulsification of fats: Breaks large fat globules into smaller droplets →
increases surface area for enzyme action.
○ Alkaline medium: Neutralizes acidic chyme from stomach and provides suitable
pH for pancreatic enzymes.
● Substrate: Large fat globules
● End Product: Smaller fat droplets (emulsified fat)
● Point of Action: Duodenum (first part of small intestine)
4. 🍳 Pancreas
● Location: Below the stomach; connected to small intestine via pancreatic duct
● Secretion: Pancreatic juice, contains 3 key enzymes:
Enzyme Substrate End Product
Amylase Starch Maltose
Trypsin Proteins Peptides
Lipase Emulsified fats Fatty acids + Glycerol
●
pH: Alkaline
● Point of Release: Duodenum
5. 🧪 Intestinal Glands (Crypts of Lieberkühn)
● Location: In the wall of the small intestine
● Secretion: Intestinal juice (also called succus entericus)
● Enzymes and Functions:
Enzyme Substrate End
Product
Maltase Maltose Glucose +
Glucose
Lactase Lactose Glucose +
Galactose
Sucrase Sucrose Glucose +
Fructose
Peptidase Peptides Amino
acids
Lipase Emulsified fats Fatty acids
+ Glycerol
●
pH: Alkaline
● Point of Action: Small intestine (mainly jejunum and ileum)
📌 Flow Summary of Digestive Gland Secretions and End
Products
Organ / Secretes Where Acts on End Product
Gland Released
Salivary Salivary amylase Mouth Starch Maltose
Glands
Gastric HCl, Pepsin, Stomach Proteins Peptones
Glands Mucus
Liver Bile (via Duodenum Fats Smaller fat droplets
gallbladder) (emulsification)
Pancreas Pancreatic juice Duodenum Starch, protein, Maltose, peptides,
fats fatty acids
Intestinal Intestinal juice Small Maltose, peptides, Glucose, amino
Glands intestine etc. acids, etc.
✅ Final Absorbable Nutrients
Nutrient Form Absorbed
Carbohydrate Glucose, Fructose,
s etc.
Proteins Amino acids
Fats Fatty acids + Glycerol
Would you like:
● A labeled diagram of this entire digestive system with gland positions?
● Or a digestive process flowchart for easy memorization?
Let me know!
