Human

digestion
Human digestive system
(General plan)

Accessory
digestive organs
 DIGESTIVE PROCESS
The GI tract is a “disassembly” line:
– Nutrients become more available to the body in each
step
There are six essential activities:
– 1) Ingestion, 2) propulsion, and 3) mechanical digestion
– 4) Chemical digestion, 5) absorption, and 6) defecation
 Gastrointestinal Tract Activities
1) Ingestion – taking food into the digestive tract
2) Propulsion – swallowing and peristalsis
– Peristalsis – waves of contraction and relaxation of muscles in
the organ walls
3) Mechanical digestion – chewing, mixing, and churning food
4) Chemical digestion – catabolic breakdown of food
5) Absorption – movement of nutrients from the GI tract to the blood
or lymph
6) Defecation – elimination of indigestible and unabsorbed solid wastes
 Sites of digestion
Mechanical
Organ/s Carbohydrate digestion Protein Nucleic Acid Lipid
digestion
digestion digestion digestion
Oral cavity Chewing Polysaccharides Disaccharides
(starch, glycogen) (sucrose, lactose)
Esophagus Peristalsis
Pharynx Salivary amylase
Smaller polysaccharides,
maltose

Stomach Churning Proteins

Mixing
Peristalsis Pepsin
Small polypeptides

Small Peristalsis Pancreatic trypsin DNA, RNA Fat globules

intestine Mixing Polysaccharides and chymotrypsin Pancreatic Bile salts
Lumen Pancreatic amylase Smaller polypeptides nucleases Fat droplets
Nucleotides Pancreatic lipase
Maltose and other
disaccharides Glycerol, fatty
acids, glycerides
Disaccharidase Nucleotidases
Small Small peptides
Nucleosides
intestine s Dipeptidases,
Epithelium carboxypeptidase, Nucleosidases, phosphatases
aminopeptidase Nitrogenous bases,
Monosaccharides sugars, phosphates
Amino acids
Digestion in the
Mouth
• Salivary glands
– Water
– Some enzymes
• Salivary amylase
• Lysozyme
– Mucus or mucin
• Teeth
Swallowing: from mouth to stomach
 Deglutition (Swallowing)
• Three phases
– Voluntary
• Bolus of food moved by tongue from oral cavity to
pharynx
– Pharyngeal
Reflex: Upper esophageal sphincter relaxes, elevated
pharynx opens the esophagus, food pushed into
esophagus
– Esophageal
• Reflex: Epiglottis is tipped posteriorly, larynx
elevated to prevent food from passing into larynx
Phases of Deglutition (Swallowing)
Digestion in the
Stomach
 Muscular sac
◦ Churns & mixes food
 Gastric glands
◦ Parietal cells  HCl,
intrinsic factor
◦ Goblet cells 
mucus
◦ Chief cells 
pepsinogen, weak
gastric lipase
◦ Gastrin
 Hormone
 Controls gastric juices
 Comes out as chyme
(2-6 hours)
Phases of Gastric Secretion
Movements in Stomach
Small Intestine
• Site of greatest amount of
digestion and absorption
• Divisions
– Duodenum
– Jejunum
– Ileum: Peyer’s patches or
lymph nodules
• Modifications
– Circular folds or plicae
circulares, villi, lacteal,
microvilli
• Cells of mucosa
– Absorptive, goblet, granular,
endocrine
 Small Intestine Secretions
• Mucus
– Protects against digestive enzymes and stomach acids
• Digestive enzymes
– Disaccharidases: Break down disaccharides to
monosaccharides
– Peptidases: Hydrolyze peptide bonds
– Nucleases: Break down nucleic acids
• Duodenal glands
– Stimulated by vagus nerve, secretin, chemical or tactile
irritation of duodenal mucosa
Duodenum and Pancreas
Duodenum Anatomy and
Histology
Liver
Secretes bile
(stored in gall bladder)
Emulsifies fats

Gallbladder
Stores, concentrates, and
releases bile into
duodenum
Stimulated by the
hormone cholecystokinin
(CCK)
Pancreas
• Exocrine function
• Acinar cells secrete
pancreatic juice
– Amylase
– Lipase
– Trypsin
– Chymotrypsin
– Carboxypeptidase
– Nuclease
– NaHCO3
• Secretin and
cholecystokinin (CCK) fr
intestinal wall stimulates PJ
production
Histology of the Alimentary Canal

Figure 23.6
 GIT physiology 2nd year Lab &
05/09/23 Nutrition 32
 GIT physiology 2nd year Lab &
05/09/23 Nutrition 33
Absorption in the small intestine
Reabsorption and elimination
in the large intestine
• Areas of the colon
• cecum

• rectum

• anus

• Absorption of water
and electrolytes
• Concentration &
elimination of solids
• Home for bacteria
• folic acid
• vitamin K
• several B-vitamins
• gases
 Large Intestine
• Cecum
– Blind sac, vermiform appendix attached
• Colon
– Ascending, transverse, descending, sigmoid
• Rectum
– Straight muscular tube
• Anal canal
– Internal anal sphincter (smooth muscle)
– External anal sphincter (skeletal muscle)
– Hemorrhoids: Vein enlargement or inflammation
 Secretions of Large Intestine

• Mucus provides protection

– Parasympathetic stimulation increases rate of
goblet cell secretion
• Pumps
– Exchange of bicarbonate ions for chloride ions
– Exchange of sodium ions for hydrogen ions
• Bacterial actions produce gases called flatus
Histology of Large Intestine
 Movement in Large Intestine
• Mass movements
– Common after meals
• Local reflexes in enteric plexus
– Gastrocolic: Initiated by stomach
– Duodenocolic: Initiated by duodenum
• Defecation reflex
– Distension of the rectal wall by feces
• Defecation
– Usually accompanied by voluntary movements to expel feces
through abdominal cavity pressure caused by inspiration