DIGESTION IN HUMANS

DIGESTION-DEFINITION
 Process where large molecules are broken down to
smaller soluble molecules and absorbed by cells
 Two process:-physical digestion and chemical digestion

 Physical digestion: (mechanical breakup)

 Occurs in mouth and stomach

 Increases the surface area of food so enzymes can react

efficiently
 Mouthchewing

 StomachContraction and relaxation of muscle of

stomach wall cause food to break
CHEMICAL DIGESTION
 Catalysed by enzymes
 Large molecules  Small molecules
DIGESTIVE PROCESS IN MOUTH
 Salivary glands secrete saliva
 Saliva mixes with foodmucus in saliva softens food

 Salivary amylase break carbohydrates

 Chewing breaks food increasing surface area of food

 Tongue rolls food into tiny massbolus

 Boli swallowed into esophagus via pharynx

 Food moves to stomach by peristalsis

DIGESTIVE PROCESS IN STOMACH
 Gastric glands secrete gastric juice
 Peristalsis churns food and mixes with enzyme

 Gastric juiceHCl (pH 2), mucus and pepsin

 Dilute HCl denatures salivary amylase

 Inactive pepsinogen  active pepsin

 Harmful Micro organisms in food killed

 Pepsin (protease)breaks proteins to polypeptides

 Food remain in stomach for 3 to 4 hours

 Partly digested food is called chyme

 Chyme moves in small amounts to duodenum

DIGESTION IN THE SMALL INTESTINE
 Chyme enters the SI
 Pancreas secrete pancreatic juice (amylase, trypsin and
lipase)
 Pancreatic duct  duodenum

 Gall bladder secrete bile

 Bile has no enzyme but bile salts are needed to break fats

 Bile duct  duodenum

 Intestinal juice  maltase, peptidase, lipase

 All 3 fluids alkalineneutralises acidic chyme and

provide suitable medium for enzymes to act upon
DIGESTION OF DIFFERENT FOODS
 Carbohydrate digestion
 Starch maltose (salivary amylase)

 Stomach No digestion

 SIStarch maltoseglucose

 Lactoseglucose+galactose

 Sucroseglucose+fructose

 Enzymes (pancreatic amylase, maltase, lactase, sucrase)

 Sugars absorbed in blood stream

 Cellulose not digested

PROTEIN DIGESTION

 Some proteins digested in stomach (pepsin)

 Proteinspolypeptides

 In SI proteinspolypeptides(trypsin)

 Polypeptides Amino acids (peptidase)

 Amino acids absorbed

FAT DIGESTION (EMULSIFICATION OF
FATS)
 In SI
 Big fat droplet + bile salts tiny fat droplets +lipase 
fatty acids + glycerol
ABSORPTION

 Sugar, amino acids, fatty acid and glycerol are absorbed

through SI (Ileum)
 Absorbed nutrientsbloodstream

 Water and minerals absorbed by SI and colon

 Colon absorbs 90% of water

ABSORPTION IN SI
 Larger surface area of SI  Larger absorption
 SI has thin membranes for easy absorption

 Villi-foldings of the SI

 Villi has many microvillibig surface area

 SI longsufficient time for absorption

 Each villus has lymphatic and blood capillaries

 Lymphatic capillaries transport fats (diffuse into

epithelium)
 Blood capillaries transport sugars and amino acids from
intestine (by diffusion and active transport)
EGESTION
 Undigested and unabsorbed matter stored temporarily in
rectum
 Discharges as faeces and is called egestion/defecation