The Human
Digestive System
Function of the Digestive System
Why is the Digestive System Important? How
does the digestive system help maintain
homeostasis?
(Add
● the following in your notebook)
The digestive system breaks down large
food particles into smaller molecules.
● Absorbs nutrients to reach each cell.
● Removes solid waste from the body.
Nutrition
⚫The life function of nutrition involves what
three processes?
[Link]: Taking in food
[Link]: Breaking down food
into smaller pieces
[Link]: Elimination of
undigested food
Nutrients are
chemical
6 Essential
compounds
necessary for
Nutrients
Protei
n
Carbohydrate
s
growth, repair,
energy, and
regulation of body
functions
Water is
Wate
necessary
r
because it is
important for what
process?
Hydrolysi
Fats/ Vitamins &
s Lipids Minerals
Why Must We Break
Food particles
need to be Down Our Food?
small enough
to diffuse into
our cells!
Example: A
starch cannot
fit through the
cell membrane,
but glucose
can!
The Mouth: Where Digestion Begins!
⚫ Teeth break down
food into smaller
particles
(mechanical
digestion)
⚫ The enzyme
salivary amylase
begins the
chemical
digestion of
carbohydrates
⚫ The food is now
called a bolus
Next Stop: The Esophagus
⚫The esophagus
is the tube that
carries the
bolus to the
stomach.
⚫The epiglottis
covers the
trachea to
prevent
choking when
swallowing.
Muscle Peristalsis
contractions
within the
walls of the
esophagus
are
responsible
for pushing
the bolus to
the stomach
The Cardiac Sphincter
⚫ Valve between the
esophagus and
the stomach that
closes to prevent
food from moving
back up the
esophagus after it
enters the
stomach.
⚫ It also prevents
vomiting and acid
reflux
The Stomach
Mechanical digestion: Via
muscle contractions
⚫ Chemical Digestion of proteins
carried out by the enzyme pepsin
and stimulated by hydrochloric
acid
⚫ Stomach lining coated with
mucus to protect it from acid
erosion
⚫ Food spends 1-2 hours in the
stomach and it is turned
completely into liquid, called
Valve that
seals off the
stomach from
the small
intestine.
It prevents the
chyme from
moving
backwards into
the stomach.
The Pyloric
Sphincter
The Small Intestine
⚫ The chyme leaves the stomach
and enters the first part of the
small intestine called the
duodenum
⚫ Most chemical digestion occurs
here (proteins, carbs, and lipids)
⚫ As the chyme moves through the
small intestine, most nutrients
are absorbed by the lining of the
small intestine and enter the
bloodstream
⚫ About one inch in diameter and
20 feet in length!
Villi: Fingerlike
projections that line
the inside of the
small intestine
They increase the
surface area for
absorption of
nutrients
Capillaries (tiny
blood vessels) are
found within each
villus to allow
diffusion of nutrients
into the bloodstream
Absorption in the
Small Intestine: Villi
Absorption in the Small
Intestine: Villi
The Large Intestine
⚫ Sometimes
referred to as the
colon
⚫ No digestion
occurs here! Food
in the large
intestine is
nutrient free.
⚫ Excess water is
absorbed here
⚫ Total length is 5
feet
Any undigested
food passes
from the large
intestine to the
rectum, where it
is stored.
Waste is
eliminated from
the body via the
anus.
The End of the
Journey
The Liver and Gallbladder
⚫ Produces bile,
which emulsifies
(breaks down) fats
so pancreatic
lipases can do
their job
⚫ Stores bile and
releases it into
the small
intestine via a bile
duct
Produces enzymes
and secretes these
enzymes into the
small intestine via
pancreatic ducts
Secretes
bicarbonate, which
neutralizes the
acidic chyme
entering the small
intestine from the
stomach
Produces trypsin,
which digests
proteins, and
pancreatic amylase,
which digests
carbohydrates
The Pancreas
Disorders of the Digestive
System
⚫Constipation- chyme moves too slowly
through the large intestine and too much
water is absorbed, resulting in difficulty
digesting food
⚫Diarrhea- chyme moves too quickly through
the large intestine resulting in the LACK of
water absorption
⚫Ulcers- mucus lining in the stomach wears
thin, allowing the hydrochloric acid in the
stomach to burn the sensitive lining of the
stomach wall
Stomach Ulcers
Liver Disorders: Jaundice
⚫ Jaundice: A bile duct
becomes blocked
(typically due to a
gallstone) and bile
backs up into the
liver.
⚫ Sometimes the bile
can back up into the
bloodstream, and
since bile contains a
yellow pigment, it
can cause yellowing
of the skin and eyes
Occurs when
bile
Gallstones
crystallizes in
the
gallbladder
Creates
pebble-like
deposits that
can be as
small as a
grain of sand
or as large as
a golf ball
Celiac Disease
⚫ Autoimmune disorder in which the
body attacks the villi of the small
intestine when gluten is ingested.
This prevents proper nutrient
absorption
⚫ Gluten is a protein found in wheat,
rye, and barley
⚫ It affects 1 in 100 people
worldwide and it typically runs in
families
⚫ If left untreated it can lead to
other health problems, including
type 1 diabetes or multiple
sclerosis
