This lesson is being

recorded
Digestion so far…

What have we covered so far?

Stomach – Stomach –
Mouth – Oesophagus muscles acid (low
teeth – food mechanically pH), kills
mechanical, moved by break up microbes,
amylase muscular food, optimum
chemical contractions, chemically conditions
digestion peristalsis digest for pepsin to
proteins work
 iGCSE Biology
Week 17 – LEARN Lesson
Digestion and Energy in Food

Textbook pages 59 – 61, 65 – 69

Learning Objectives

2.30 understand that bile is produced by the liver and stored in

the gall bladder

2.31 understand the role of bile in neutralising stomach acid and

emulsifying lipids

2.32 understand how the small intestine is adapted for

absorption, including the structure of a villus.

2.33 describe an experiment to investigate the energy content in

a food sample.
What happens next ?

The Small Intestine

 The name of this organ is deceiving.

Although it is called small, it can
stretch up to 6 metres in length.

 In order to fit into the body, it is

heavily folded.

 When the gastric juices leave the

small intestine
stomach, they pass into the small
intestine.
Problem…

The gastric juices are acidic and contain proteases! There could be
a danger of the lining of the small intestine being digested.

Luckily two substances are produced to stop this happening.

The first is mucus which protects the delicate tissues lining the digestive
system.

The second is bile.

Bile is made in the Liver. It is a yellow/green liquid that is naturally

alkaline (pH > 7).
Solution…

This means that when bile and the gastric juices meet… the result is
neutralisation of the stomach acid.

pH>7 + pH <7  Neutralisation

 
This is essential for the lipase (the enzyme that digests lipids) to
function properly (remember enzymes are highly sensitive to changes
in pH and need an optimal pH in which to work to function efficiently.
Liver produces bile

Cells in the liver
produce bile which is
then stored in the gall
bladder
What is the role of bile?
Bile has two main roles:

2. It breaks down large drops of

1. It is alkaline and
so neutralises the gastric juice
(hydrochloric acid) which comes
from the stomach.
The enzymes in the small
intestine have a higher (more
alkaline) optimum pH than
those in the stomach
fat into smaller ones.
This is known
as emulsification.
The larger surface area
allows lipase to chemically break
down the lipid into glycerol and
fatty acids faster .

Do not get confused… BILE does not CHEMICALLY

DIGEST LIPIDS to release FATTY ACIDS and
GLYCEROL. This is the job of LIPASE ENZYMES.
 Liver produces bile Fat (lipids)
which is stored in the within the
gall bladder gastric juice
Bile is released from the gall
bladder and passes down
through the bile duct into the
duodenum

The bile and the fat (lipids) meet within the small intestine.
The bile emulsifies the fat (lipids). This basically means the
fat (lipids) is physically broken into smaller pieces.

Emulsification

Notice that the fat has not been chemically digested, only
physically. The result is a greater surface area over which the
enzyme, lipase, can attack the fat.
 1. Role of the small intestine – duodenum

The first part of small intestine (duodenum) is the site of further break down of food
by enzymes.

Enzymes are produced and released from the pancreas and the wall of the gut.

Lipids, carbohydrates and proteins are all broken down.

REMEMBER – enzymes break the chemical bonds, breaking LARGE INSOLUBLE

molecules in to SMALL SOLUBLE molecules.
 2. Role of the small intestine - ileum

The last part of the small intestine (ileum) is the site of absorption of useful
molecules of digested food.

These molecules must pass across the lining of the small intestine and enter the
blood stream.

Their destinations are the cells of the body.

The cells constantly need these chemicals and therefore the absorption process
must be very efficient to keep up with demand.
How is the small intestine adapted for
absorption?

 Absorption of digested food

molecules from the digestive
system into the blood takes
place in the second section of
the small intestine, the ileum
 The ileum is adapted for this
function as it is very long and
has a highly folded surface
with millions of villi (tiny, finger
like projections)
 These adaptations
massively increase the surface
area of the ileum, allowing
absorption to take place faster
and more efficiently
 Structural
suitability of a villus
(pl. villi)
Microvilli on the surface of the villus further
increase surface area for faster absorption of
nutrients
Structure and adaptations of Villi…
Well supplied with a network of blood
capillaries that transport glucose and amino
acids away from the small intestine in the blood.
Wall of villus is one cell thick meaning that
there is only a short distance for absorption to
happen by diffusion and active transport
Lacteal runs through the centre of the villus to
transport fatty acids and glycerol away from the
small intestine in the lymph
Absorption summary

A
 
B
Remember   Any
Sugars S
that the   indigestible
small food will
O
intestine   B leave the
R
lining is Amino Acids   L small
made up P O intestine
 
of T O
without
thousands Fatty Acids
 
D
having been
of villi. and Glycerol I
  absorbed
Phosphates O
 
N
 
Movement/exchange of substances reminder

• Soluble food absorption from the gut to the blood is another example of movement across
membranes and cells.
• How does the small intestine ensure this is efficient?

1. Surface area – many millions of villi increase the surface area

2. Distance – many capillaries very close to the small intestine reducing the time taken to
reach the blood
3. Concentration gradient – blood capillaries maintain steep concentration gradient (the
blood takes absorbed molecules away to the rets of the body)
The large intestine (colon)

 As the food enters this

organ, all that is left is
waste material
(undigestible matter) and
water.

 The body will want to

leave the waste material
within the digestive
system but the water is
valuable so needs
retaining.
Water absorption

 Water will need to be retained by the

body in order to prevent dehydration.

 Remember that all the liquids you drink

provide the largest source of water for
the body. All this fluid passes through
the digestive system.

 The blood reabsorbs the any remaining

excess water that is mixed with the
waste food in the colon.
Large intestine (rectum)

 Once the excess water has been

reabsorbed (in the colon) , the
waste material then passes into a
storage organ called the rectum.

 This waste material mainly

consists of indigestible food.

 It makes up the bulk of the

faeces (solid excrement) that will
be egested.
.
 It is stored in the rectum until the
body is ready to egest through the
anus.
So, what is faeces?

 Undigestible fibre (mainly cellulose)

 Dead and living bacteria from the digestive system

 Cells from the gut

 WATCH

5 min clip showing food

moving through digestive
system (camera)
INTRODUCTION TO: Core Practical: investigate the
energy content in a food sample
1. Measure a set volume of water and pour
into a boiling tube
2. Record the starting temperature of the
water
3. Record the mass of the food sample
4. Set food sample alight and put
underneath the boiling tube to heat the
water until it burns out
5. Record the final temperature of the water
6. Use the following equation to work out the
energy content of the food sample per
gram:
Plenary

Before you go add a fact to the poll about digestion in

the small intestine.
Inspired AI

1. Login into Inspired AI - https://app.century.tech/login/ using your KIH username and

password. Click sign in with Office 365

2. Complete any diagnostics/nuggets that have been assigned to you for this week.
Learning Objectives

2.30 understand that bile is produced by the liver and stored in

the gall bladder

2.31 understand the role of bile in neutralising stomach acid and

emulsifying lipids

2.32 understand how the small intestine is adapted for

absorption, including the structure of a villus.

2.33 describe an experiment to investigate the energy content in

a food sample.
Lesson complete!
See you next lesson