Digestive system
alimentary canal
tongue
mouth cavity
tooth
oesophagus
liver
stomach
gall bladder
pancreas
small duodenum
intestine
ileum
large colon
intestine caecum
appendix
rectum
anus
The digestive system is
made up of:
digestive glands
(salivary glands, liver,
pancreas)
The digestive glands
produce
digestive juices.
There are two types of digestion…
Mechanical Chemical
digestion digestion
1. Physical/Mechanical
digestion
In physical/mechanical digestion…
Food is broken into smaller pieces
without changing to a new substance.
mechanical
digestion
e.g.
large piece chewing smaller pieces
of food of food
2. Chemical digestion
In chemical digestion…
Complex food substances are broken down
into simple food substances by chemical
reactions (require digestive enzymes).
chemical
starch digestion
enzyme
enzyme
glucose
In the mouth cavity
In the mouth cavity,
food is digested by:
•chewing (physical)
•the enzyme in saliva
(chemical)
In the mouth cavity
Chewing:
• Chew with our teeth to
break food into smaller
pieces.
• Increases surface area
of the food for action of
enzymes, increase the
rate of digestion
In the mouth cavity
Enzymes in saliva:
• Food mixed with saliva
secreted by the
salivary glands.
• Saliva makes food moist
(easier to swallow).
• Contains enzyme: breaks
down starch into sugar.
In the oesophagus
• When we swallow, food
enters the
oesophagus.
• Peristalsis pushes food
down to the stomach.
In the stomach
In the stomach, food is
digested by:
•churning (physical)
•the enzymes in gastric
juice (chemical)
In the stomach
Gastric juice:
• Contains enzymes:
break down proteins
In the stomach
Gastric juice:
• Contains hydrochloric
acid:
1. kills bacteria in food
2. provides acidic
environment for
enzymes to work in.
In the small intestine
In the small intestine,
food is digested by:
•action of bile (mechanical)
•enzymes in pancreatic
juice and intestinal juice
(chemical)
In the small intestine
Peristalsis:
• Pushes food along the
small intestine.
• Helps mix the food with
digestive juices.
In the small intestine
Bile:
• Produced in the liver
and stored in the gall
bladder.
• Does not contain enzymes.
In the small intestine
Bile:
• Emulsifies lipids into
smaller oil droplets—
increases surface area
for enzymes to work on.
Lipid bile
small oil
droplets
In the small intestine
Pancreatic juice :
• Pancreatic juice is secreted
by the pancreas.
• Contain enzymes that
break down carbohydrates,
lipids and proteins.
In the small intestine
intestinal juice:
• Intestinal juice is secreted
by the glands in the walls
of the small intestine.
• Contain enzymes that
break down carbohydrates,
and proteins.
In the small intestine
All carbohydrates, lipids
and proteins
Digestion completed
in the small intestine
Small, simple, soluble
substances
Ready to be absorbed
Small intestine
• Digestion completed
– Carbohydrates glucose / simple sugars
– Proteins amino acids
– Fats fatty acid and glycerol
2. Absorption
In the small intestine
Absorption takes place mostly in
the small intestine.
A small amount of food
substances are absorbed
in the stomach.
In the small intestine
complex food small, simple,
substances soluble
substances
digestion
cannot pass
through
wall
of small
intestine can pass through
In the small intestine
mineral
complex food water
substances vitamin
digestion
cannot pass
through
wall
of small
intestine can pass through
In the small intestine
small, simple food
substances and water
pass through
wall of small
intestine
enter blood
capillaries
In the small intestine
absorbed food carried to all parts
substances and water of the body via the
transport system
used by body cells
Adaptive features of small intestine to absorption:
The small intestine is long
There are many villi
(finger-like projections)
These greatly increase the surface area
for absorption of digested food in small
intestine rapid absorption
Lacteal
Adaptive features of villi to absorption:
The wall of the villus is very thin.
This may shorten the distance for
diffusion of digested food.
.
Villus is finger-like in shape.
This may increase the surface area for
absorption of digested food.
. There is a dense network of capillaries inside villus
This allows digested food to be absorbed are transported
away quickly and maintains the concentration difference
for absorption.
After moving through the small intestine, the
indigestible food like dietary fibre and any
unabsorbed food then move on to the large
intestine.
large
intestine
indigestible
food
Most of the remaining water and minerals
are absorbed in the large intestine (caecum
and colon).
water
mineral
In the large intestine
Undigested food faeces
temporarily
minerals and most stored in the
of the remaining large intestine
water absorbed
passed out of the
a semi-solid waste body through the
called faeces anus
B. The fate of digested food
After absorption, digested food
in blood is transported to all parts blood
vessel
of our body through blood vessels.
nutrient
The blood vessels branch into a network of
capillaries around the body.
The exchange of
materials takes place
between the blood and
the body cells through
the walls of the
capillaries.
body cell capillary
In our body, the nutrients are used in
various way, e.g.:
For releasing energy to support body
activities
For growth and repair of body tissues
For use as an energy reserve
refer to functions of different food substances
