THE DIGESTIVE

SYSTEM
T H E Q U EE N ’S SC H OOL F OU RT H F OR M
BIOLOGY
OBJECTIVES

• Recall the two main types of nutrition

• Define digestion
• Compare the two type of digestion
• Describe the process of digestion in holozoic feeders
TASK 1: RECALL

• Go to your notes on types of nutrition.

• Summarize and define the following:
– Nutrition
– Heterotrophic nutrition
– Autotrophic nutrition
WHY IS NUTRITION IMPORTANT?

• It provides essential raw material that are necessary for anabolic reactions
which results in the synthesis of organic molecules
• It fuels catabolic processes, eg. Deamination
• Provides ions such as Na+ , K+, Cl-, etc
DIGESTION IS THE PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL
BREAKDOWN OF FOOD INTO SMALLER AND MORE
SOLUBLE SUB-UNITS
CHEMICAL DIGESTION P HY S I C A L D I G E ST I O N
• Uses structures of the digestive system
to break down food into smaller particles
• Involves the action of enzymes
and stomach acids on food to
• The teeth and tongue are used for
break it down.
cutting, crushing and grinding

• Chemical digestion begins in the • Physical digestion also happens in the

mouth. muscular stomach where the contents
are CHURNED
• Holozoic nutrition follows the specific order:
– Ingestion
Buccal cavity
– Digestion
– Absorption
– Assimilation
– Egestion anus

These events occur in the ALIMENTARY CANAL.

INGESTION

• This is the intake of food through the buccal cavity.

• Go to this link to view the introduction to ingestion, then continue on to the
next slide.
– https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxmEtROtXbs
• Food enters the buccal cavity and is immediately broken down into smaller
pieces using the teeth.
• The teeth chops, crushes and grinds food by a process called mastication.
• Mastication increases the surface area of the food for enzymes to act on.

• Physical digestion therefore begins in the mouth.

• Go to the following link to learn more about the teeth and their role in digestion:
– https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlJu0BAn9Nw
CHEMICAL DIGESTION IN THE MOUTH

• Salivary amylase is secreted by salivary glands as a part of saliva

• This acts upon starch and breaks it down to maltose

• Saliva softens and lubricates the food.

• The pH at which salivary amylase best works is 7. therefore, the pH
condition in the mouth is ALKALINE.
• The ground up food is shaped into a ball by the tongue called a bolus.
• The bolus is pushed to the back of the throat and swallowed.

• The waves of muscular contractions push the food downwards by a process

called PERISTALSIS.
• While peristalsis occurs, amylase is still acting upon starch.
 THE STOMACH
• The bolus eventually makes it to the stomach, which has a very low pH of
approximately 1.5-2 and is therefore very acidic. Amylase is denatured here.

• Mainly chemical digestion and some amount of physical digestion takes place
here.

• The stomach has cells in its lining that produce and secrete GASTRIC JUICES into
its lumen

• Gastric juices consist mainly of hydrochloric acid and proteases.

• Proteases are a class of enzymes that breakdown proteins.

• Hydrochloric acid is an essential component of gastric juice – it lowers the pH to
2 and kills microbes ingested with the food

• The low pH is important Hydrochloric acid (HCl) is essential for activating the
proteases in gastric juice.

• Proteases are released from cells in the inactive form called pepsinogen. It is
only when pepsinogen mixes with HCl that it is converted to the active enzyme
called pepsin.

• Pepsin breaks down protein into smaller poly-peptides by breaking the peptide
bonds that hold long chains of amino acids together:pepsi
n

Long chain proteins Short chain poly-peptides

TASK 2
• The stomach is a muscular pouch that continually contracts and relaxes to
turn over and mix food in a process called CHURNING.

• Watch the following link and make short notes about digestion in the
stomach:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L65QkOj6zrY

• After this, we will discuss THREE ways in which the stomach is suitably
adapted for its role.
ADAPTATIONS OF THE STOMACH

1. There are cells in the lining of the stomach wall that produces mucus
which forms a protective barrier..

2. The mucus produced by the cells in the stomach lining is slightly alkaline,
which neutralizes acid that comes in contact with the mucus layer. This
prevents it from being depleted.

3. Cells only produce pepsinogen. The pepsinogen only becomes active

pepsin when it mixes with the HCl when it is in the lumen of the stomach.
DIGESTION IN THE SMALL INTESTINES
• The semi solid mixture of food and gastric juice is called chyme.
• The acidic chyme is acted upon by secretions from TWO glands; the liver
and the pancreas
The Pancreas The Liver
Secretes pancreatic juice. Produces bile.

Pancreatic juice is secreted into pancreatic Bile is stored in a small sac called the gall
duct which takes it to the duodenum. bladder.

Pancreatic juice contains pancreatic Bile is transported to the small intestines

amylase, pancreatic lipase and proteases. through a duct called the bile duct.

Contains Sodium Bicarbonate which makes
it alkaline.
Pancreatic juice helps to neutralize chyme
coming from the stomach.
Bile contains bile pigments (bilirubin and
bilivirdin) and bile salts. There are no
enzymes in bile.
Bile salts emulsifies lipids by breaking them
into very small droplets. Bile also
neutralizes chyme.
TASK 3: READING AND INDEPENDENT
RESEARCH!
• What are the sections of the small intestines?
• What substances are actively involved in digestion in the small intestines? Where do
they come from? What are their main components? What are the functions of these
components?
• What is absorption?
• How does absorption occur in the small intestines?
• How is the small intestine adapted for absorption?
• Where are water and mineral salts absorbed?
• What happens to substances not fully digested and absorbed?
• What are THREE ways in which the body uses EACH of the following after they are
absorbed: monosaccharides, animo acids, fatty acids and glycerol?
• What is assimilation?
• To find the answers to the questions above, read through the PDF document titled
“Absorption and Assimilation” that accompanies this PowerPoint presentation
TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE!!
CLICK THE FOLLOWING LINKS TO HAVE FUN WHILE TESTING HOW
MUCH YOU KNOW ABOUT THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM AND DIGESTION!
• QUIZZES • GAMES
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