CH 18: Nutrients & Digestion

What you should read! Chapter 18

pages 523 - 529
Digestive System
– The process of breaking
down food so it can be
absorbed and moved by
blood system

2 forms of digestion
1. Chemical Digestion – chemical
action of breaking down food by
enzymes or acids
2. Mechanical Digestion - the
physical action of breaking down food
 DS Pathway Go to figure 11,
page 523
The minute you take a bite of a
Twinkie your digestive system
starts to work!!

Ingestion/ Digestion
1. The Mouth
Mechanical Digestion
Teeth grind & tear
food to smaller
pieces. Tongue
helps to mix it.

Chemical Digestion
Salivary Glands –
produce saliva that
Now the food is somewhat broken down
and your mouth has made it mushy Go to figure 13,
with chemicals. Where does it go? page 525

2. The Throat
• Epiglottis – Small flap that
closes over windpipe
– smooth muscle
• Esophagus – Pipe that
transports food to the
stomach
– NO digestion occurs
– Peristalsis - smooth
muscle contractions that
move food down through
the pipe
Now that Twinkie is really mushy and the
peristalsis muscles have pushed it down
into your stomach. What happens?

Digestion
3. The Stomach
J-Shaped organ lined with muscle
Mechanical Digestion
smooth muscle– mixes and
breaks down food
Chemical Digestion
Gastric Juices/acids –
hydrochloric acid inside stomach

-Food is now a thin watery liquid

called Chyme
Twinkie is just plain mushy mixed with acid, & mucus;
it’s like really runny oatmeal. Where does it go?

Digestion Go to figure 13,

page 525
4. The Small Intestine
~6 meters of coiled tubes wrapped in smooth
muscle
Most of the digestion occurs here

Chemical Digestion
• acids break down food even more
Mechanical Digestion
• Smooth muscle push food through
intestines
Absorption
Villi – Small fingerlike projections that line the
inside walls
• Digested food is absorbed into blood vessels
Does any other organ help in digestion?

Accessory Organs
The Liver
• Produces bile (breaks up fat)
• Aids drug detoxification

The Gall Bladder

• Stores bile
• Releases some bile into
duodenum to help in digestion

The Pancreas
• Produces pancreatic juices
which help in digestion
• Produce insulin which controls
blood sugar levels

Food does not pass through these organs!

So where does the food that doesn’t
get absorbed go?
Go to figure 4,
Absorption page 488
Large Intestine
– Horseshoe shaped around the
small intestine
– Contains all the undigested
food, water, etc
– Absorbs water-maintain
homeostasis
– Mix stuff into solid mixture

Elimination
Rectum
– Very end of the large intestines
– Stores solid waste, before it
leaves body through anus
– Muscles control the release
 I know these
answers!! I’m so
Quick Quiz
smart I’m floating
with knowledge
1. What are the structures inside the small intestine
called that absorb the nutrients?

2. What is the flap of muscle that covers your

windpipe?

3. What is the role of the gall bladder?

4. Name the muscle Contractions that help push

food through the D.S.

5. Where does most of the digestion take place (be

specific)?

6. Explain the role (s) of the large intestine be sure to

include the stage or stages?
 Identify The Parts

1 2

8
4

7
5

6
 I know these
answers!! I’m so Quick Quiz
smart I’m floating
with knowledge

1. What are the structures inside the small intestine

called that absorb the nutrients?
2. What is the flap of muscle that covers your
windpipe?
3. What is that pipe that transports food to the stomach
called?
4. Name the muscle Contractions that help push food
through the D.S.
5. Where does most of the digestion take place?
6. What organ absorbs the water?
 Yummy, yummy
Answers in my tummy,
Ms. Von is so
funny!

1. Villi
2. Epiglottis
3. Esophagus
4. Peristalsis
5. Duodenum (small intestine)
6. Large intestines
 Answers
1. Mouth/Salivary
glands 2. Esophagus

3. Stomach

8. Liver
4. Large intestines

7. Pancreas
5. Small intestines

6. Rectum