3.

3
Human Digestive
System
How is food
digested?
Food Digestion

Definition
• Process of breaking down food that is
complex and large
• into molecules that are small, simple
and soluble
• so that they can be absorbed by the
cells of the body
 Digestion

Physical Chemical
• The process of
breaking down food • The process of
into smaller breaking down food
particles in the from complex
mouth with the help molecules into
of teeth, tongue and simple molecules
saliva with the help of
enzymes
• Involves peristalsis
 Happens in
Break down the mouth,
Happens in of food stomach,
the mouth occur duodenum
and intestine

Physical Chemical
Digestion Digestion
Does not Happen in
involve the
Involves
enzymes digestive
enzymes
tract
 The Structure of Human Digestive System
Digestive tract
Mouth Large Intestine

Oesophagus Rectum

Stomach Anus

Duodenum

Small Intestine
 The Structure of Human Digestive System
Other organs
Salivary glands

Liver

Gall bladder

Pancreas
 The Flow of Food in the Digestive Tract
1 Mouth

• Food is chewed by the teeth.

• Particles of food are softened by
saliva.
• Salivary amylase in saliva

Amylase
Starch Maltose
 The Flow of Food in the Digestive Tract
2 Oesophagus

• Food that enters the oesophagus

is called bolus.
• The process of peristalsis at the
wall of the oesophagus pushes
the food into the stomach.
 The Flow of Food in the Digestive Tract
3 Stomach

• Walls of the stomach secrete protease and

hydrochloric acid.
• Hydrochloric acid
• activates protease and kills bacteria in the food
• Protease
• breaks down protein into polypeptides.
• Food that is semi-liquid is called chyme.

Protease
Protein Polypeptides
 The Flow of Food in the Digestive Tract
4 Duodenum

• First part of the small intestine

• Liver
• produces bile that is stored in the gall
bladder
• Bile emulsifies fat into small droplets
• Bile neutralizes the acid in the chyme
• Pancreas
• Produces pancreatic juice: pancreatic
amylase, protease and lipase
 The Flow of Food in the Digestive Tract
Pancreatic Juice

Amylase
Starch Maltose

Protease
Polypeptides Dipeptides

Lipase
Fat Fatty acids Glycerol
 The Flow of Food in the Digestive Tract
5 Small Intestine

• The small intestine secretes enzymes

maltase and protease.

Maltase
Maltose Glucose

Protease
Dipeptides Amino acids
 The Flow of Food in the Digestive Tract
6 Large Intestine
• Undigested food will enter the large intestine.
• The process of water reabsorption happens
here.

7 Rectum
• Food that is undigested, known as faeces,
enters the rectum and is stored here.
8 Anus
• Faeces are excreted from the body
through the anus.
Digestive Enzymes
• Made up of protein
• Quicken the food digestion
• Amylase, maltase, lipase and protease.

Starch
Amylase
Starch Maltose Salivary glands & pancreas
Maltase
Maltose Glucose Small intestine

End product of starch: Glucose

Digestive Enzymes
Protein
Protease
Protein Polypeptides Stomach
Protease
Polypeptides Dipeptides Pancreas (duodenum)
Protease
Dipeptides Amino acids Small Intestine

End product of protein: Amino Acid

Digestive Enzymes
Fat
Lipase
Fat Fatty acids Glycerol Pancreas (duodenum)

End product of fat: Fatty acid + Glycerol

See you
in the next
video …