Digestive System

THE SYSTEM OF THE BODY

THAT DIGESTS FOOD AND
TURNS IT INTO ENERGY
CONSISTS OF TWO PARTS:
ALIMENTARY CANAL
ACCESSORY ORGANS
 Two Parts

Alimentary Canal Accessory Organs

Mouth Teeth
Pharynx
Tongue
Esophagus
Stomach Salivary Glands
Small Intestine Gall bladder
Large Intestine
Liver
Anus
Pancreas
 Alimentary Canal

Mouth
- Where digestion starts
- Mastication (chewing)
- Secretion of saliva
 Alimentary Canal

Pharynx
- A structure in the pharynx,
EPIGLOTTIS, closes over the trachea
preventing food from entering it.
 Alimentary Canal

Esophagus
- A muscular tube that
connects the mouth
to the stomach
- Secretes mucus
- Moves food from the
throat to the
stomach using
muscle movement
called PERISTALSIS
 Alimentary Canal

Stomach
- Muscular bag that
stores food; breaks it
down into tiny pieces
- Mixes food with
digestive juices that
contain enzyme to
break down proteins
and lipids
- Food found in the
stomach is called
CHYME
 Cell Juice/Enzyme Function
Conversion of
Parietal cells HCl pepsinogen to
pepsin
Breaking down of
Chief cells Pepsinogen
proteins
Breaking down of
Chief cells Gastric lipase short and medium
chain fats
Breaking down of
Amylase
carbohydrates
Absorption of
Parietal cells Intrinsic factor
vitamin B12
Coats and protects
Neck cells Water and mucus
stomach
 Alimentary Canal
Small Intestine
- 7 meters long
- Lining of the intestine
walls has finger-like
projections called VILLI,
to increase surface area
- Absorbs 80% ingested
water, vitamins,
minerals, carbohydrates,
proteins, lipids
- Three parts : duodenum,
jejunum, ileum
 Alimentary Canal
Large Intestine
- a.k.a colon
- 1.5 meters long
- Absorbs more water
- Concentrates wastes
- Reduces acidity
- Protects from
infections
- Produces antibodies
- Three parts: cecum,
colon, rectum
 Alimentary Canal

Rectum
- 8-inch chamber
- Short term
storage which
hold feces
before it is
expelled
 Alimentary Canal

Anus
- 2-inch long
canal
- Controls
expulsion of
wastes
 Accessory Organ

Teeth
- Mechanically breaks down food into smaller pieces
- front teeth: biting
- back teeth: chewing
- Milk/deciduous teeth – 20 (age 12 under)
- Adult/permanent teeth – 32 ( age 13 above)
 Accessory Organ

Tongue
- Mixes food with saliva (contains amylase)
- Pushes bolus (tiny mashed up bits) toward
the pharynx and into the esophagus when
swallowing
 Accessory Organ

 Salivary Glands
- Produces saliva, which keeps the mouth and other parts of
the digestive system moist
- Also helps breakdown carbohydrates
- Lubricates the passage of food down from the pharynx to
the esophagus to the stomach
- Three glands: parotid, submandibular (submaxillary),
sublingual
 Accessory Organ

Liver
- Large internal
organ
- Produces BILE that
helps digest food
- Cleans the body
and takes away
acids and poison
 Accessory Organ

Gall bladder
- Small pouch
containing BILE
- Releases the bile
to help break
down fats
 Accessory Organ

Pancreas
- Produces digestive
enzymes to digest
fats, carbohydrates,
and proteins
- Regulates blood
sugar by producing
insulin
Enzyme/Juice Function
Digestion of
Protease
proteins
Amylase Digestion of sugars
Lipase Digestion of fats
Quiz
- Label the
parts and
give its
functions
 Assignment

Bring the following:

per group
 Apple
 Biscuit
(as a class)
 Crackers
 Bottled water
 Panty hose
 Bread
 Coke
 2 basins
 Scissors
 Tissue/towel
Digestive Process
 Route of Digestion

Mouth
Pharynx
Esophagus
Stomach
Small Intestine
Large Intestine
Anus
 Ingestion

- entry of food into the alimentary canal

through the mouth
- food is chewed and mixed with saliva,
which contains enzymes that begin
breaking down the carbohydrates in the
food plus some lipid digestion via lingual
lipase
- chewing increases the surface area of the
food and allows an appropriately sized
bolus to be produced
 Propulsion/Movement

- movement of food through the digestive

tract
- Swallowing
- Peristalsis : consists of sequential, alternating
waves of contraction and relaxation of alimentary
wall smooth muscles, which act to propel food
along digestive tract
 Digestion

Two processes:
- Mechanical
- purely physical process that does not change the

chemical nature of the food

- Includes mastication as well as tongue

movements that help break food into smaller bits

and mix food with saliva
- mechanical churning of food in the stomach

serves to further break it apart and expose more

of its surface area to digestive juices, creating an
acidic “soup” called chyme
 Digestion

Two processes:
- Chemical
- starting in the mouth, digestive secretions break

down complex food molecules into their chemical

building blocks (for example, proteins into
separate amino acids)
- these secretions vary in composition, but

typically contain water, various enzymes, acids,

and salts. The process is completed in the small
intestine
 Absorption

- Passage of food particles into the

bloodstream
- Takes place in the small intestine
 Elimination

- Elimination of indigestible food

substances
Factors Affecting Digestion
 Enzyme

Role of enzyme
to ensure that the chemical reactions
for all this to occur happens as fast as
possible and in the correct manner
 Enzyme
Kinds of enzyme
- Each enzyme can work on only one specific kind of process
and thus there are many different enzymes required for
digestion to take place.
- Protease and peptidase – breaks down the food into amino

acids and small peptides and aid in digestion of proteins

- Lipase – work on the fat present inside the food and breaks

it down into one molecule of glycerol and three separate

fatty acids
- Amylase – acts upon the carbohydrates present in the food

into simpler forms of sugar which the body can absorb and
use.
- Nucleases – responsible for the nucleic acids and

converting them into nucleotides. This allows all of the

base nutrients to be digested.
What happens when there is an imbalance in the Enzyme?

Cause Effect
Genetic Lack of energy
disorder and appetite
Stress Pain in the
Old age abdominal area
Prolonged Unexpected

illness weight loss

Vomiting
 Other Factors

Chewing
 Themore thoroughly food is chewed, the more its
surface area is increased
Liquids
 Liquids
with or following meals dilute digestive
enzymes, thus increasing digestion time
Condiments
 Many of these flavorings-especially MSG
(monosodium glutamate)-act as gastric irritants,
resulting in a false sensation of hunger, causing
overeating
 Other Factors

 Frequency of meals
 (a) The stomach empties prematurely, releasing partly digested food
into the intestines. This action results in the absorption of partly
digested proteins and burdens the immune system, which must
remove them from the blood stream
 (b) The new, undigested food mixes with the partly digested food.
The combined food mass now takes longer to digest, thus allowing
increased putrefaction and fermentation of it
 Eating within digestive limitation
 Overeating expands and stretches the stomach, causing irritation
 Food combinations
 the more complicated your meals are, the harder they are to digest;
general food combining rules: eat fruit alone and on an empty
stomach, don't combine protein and starches
Diseases/Problems in the
Digestive System
 Organ Affected:

ESOPHAGUS
 Gastro esophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
- Causes reflux of gastric Treatment
and duodenal contents  Lifestyle changes:
back to the esophagus  Diet
 Cause  Exercise
 Over production of gastric  Smoking cessation
juices usually due to over  Soft-food diet
eating or ingestion of acidic  fluid
substances
 Symptoms
 Heartburn
 Nausea
 Belching
 Esophagitis
- any inflammation or irritation of  Treatment
the esophagus
 Cause
 antiviral medications
 Risk factors: obesity, alcohol and
 antifungal medications
cigarette use  antacids
 Symptoms  pain relievers
 difficulty swallowing (dysphagia)  oral steroids
 pain when you swallow
(odynophagia)
 sore throat
 hoarse voice
 heartburn
 acid reflux
 decrease in appetite
 cough
 chest pain
 nausea

 Organ Affected:

STOMACH
 Gastritis
- inflammation of the stomach  Treatment
lining and is usually termed  Over-the-counter and
acute or chronic gastritis prescription medications
 Cause for symptom relief
 H. pylori bacteria  Avoid: hot, fried and/or
 Non-steroidal anti- spicy foods, alcohol
inflammatory drugs
drinking, or eating foods
 Symptoms
you are allergic to
 Abdominal pain
 Nausea
 Vomiting
 Occasional belching, bloating,
loss of appetite, and
indigestion
 Peptic Ulcer
- sores that develop in the lining  Treatment
of the stomach (gastric), lower  Drug therapy
esophagus (esophageal), or
small intestine (duodenal)
 Limit in alcohol, caffeine,
 Cause and acidic foods
 Drugs
 Alcohol
 H. pylori bacteria
 Symptoms
 Abdominal pain
 Vomiting
 Bleeding
 General weakness
 Change in appetite
 Organ Affected:

GALL BLADDER
 Gallstone
Cause Treatment
 Risk factors: obesity and  Surgery for gallbladder
rapid weight loss removal
 Bile is high in cholesterol  Prescription medication
Symptoms  Shock-wave therapy
 Cramps
 Nausea
 Fever
 Vomiting
 Organ Affected:

PANCREAS
 Pancreatitis
- Inflammation in the  Treatment
pancreas  Fasting
 Cause  Pain medication
 Can be caused by gallstones  IV fluids
 Alcohol  Surgery
 Smoking
 Symptoms
 Upper abdominal pain
 Losing weight
 Fever
 Nausea and vomiting
 Oily, smelly stool
 Pancreatic Cancer
Cause Treatment
 Risk factor: Smoking,  Surgery
Diabetes, Obesity, Old age  Chemotherapy
Symptoms  Radiation therapy
 Pain in the upper
abdomen that radiates in
the back
 Loss of appetite
 Depression
 Fatigue
 Blood clot
 Organ Affected:

INTESTINE
 Diarrhea
- Passage of watery, loose Treatment
stools more than 3 times  Water
a day  Electrolyte replacement
Cause
 Result of bacterial, viral,
or parasitic infection
 Contaminated water or
food
 Excessive fiber intake
Symptoms
 Frequent loose, watery
stool
 Constipation
- Infrequent passage of Treatment
dry, hardened stools  Exercise
Cause  Normal eating pattern
 Insufficient fiber or water  Proper rest
intake  High fiber and fluid intake
 Inactivity
Symptoms
 Cramping bloating
 Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- Changes in colon rhythm Treatment
Cause  Increased dietary fiber
 Exact cause is not known  Stress management
 stress  Prescription drugs
Symptoms
 Diarrhea
 Constipation
 Abdominal pain
 Colon Cancer
- Third-leading cause of Treatment
cancer death  Radiation
- Curable if detected early  Chemotherapy
Cause  surgery
 Genetics
 Various colon diseases
 Smoking
 Dietary carcinogens
Symptoms
 Often none detectable
Organ Affected:

ANUS
 Hemorrhoids
- Swelling of the veins of Treatment
the rectum and anus  Increase dietary fiber and
Cause fluid intake
 Diarrhea
 Surgery (severe cases)
 Constipation
Symptoms
 Bleeding
 Itching
 Pain