Digestive system

introduction
The three basic functions of the digestive system are as follows:

1. Digestion: Is the process of breaking down foods into nutrients that can be absorbed by cells.
⎯ Mechanical digestion takes place in the mouth by chewing and in the stomach by churning actions.
⎯ Chemical digestion takes place in the mouth by the addition of the saliva and continues in the
stomach with the addition of digestive juices to chemically break down the food into simpler elements.

2. Absorption: Is the passing of digested nutrients into the bloodstream. This primarily occurs in the small
intestines.
3. Elimination: Is the conversion of any residual material from a liquid to a solid and removal of that
material from the alimentary canal via defecation.

➢ The digestive system

⎯ consists of: The alimentary canal (digestive tract or gastrointestinal tract) AND Accessory organs.
⎯ Food (journey) enters the alimentary canal The mouth, The pharynx Esophagus Stomach Small
intestine large intestine or bowels Then into the anal canal

• Ingestion: taking food into mouth.

• Secretion: release of water, acid, buffers, and enzymes into lumen of digestive canal.
• Mixing and propulsion: churning and movement of food through digestive canal.
• Digestion: mechanical and chemical breakdown of food.
• Absorption: passage of digested products from digestive canal into blood plasma and lymph plasma.
• Defecation: elimination of feces from digestive canal Layers of the digestive canal

➢ The four layers of the digestive canal is (Mucosa, Submucosa, muscular and serosa).

⎯ The mucosa, or inner lining of the digestive canal, is a mucous membrane. Contain epithelium for
digestion and absorption

⎯ Submucosa: The submucosa consists of connective tissue It contains many blood and lymphatic
vessels that receive absorbed food molecules also contain glands and lymphatic tissue.

⎯ Muscular Layer: The muscular layer of the mouth, pharynx, and superior and middle parts of the
esophagus contains skeletal muscle that produces voluntary swallowing (to produce movement of food
forward). The rest of the digestive canal, the muscular layer consists of smooth muscle.
⎯ Serosa: As its name implies, the serosa is a serious membrane It is connective tissue and simple
squamous epithelium (mesothelium). The serosa is also called the visceral peritoneum (for protection).
 Digestive system
Accessory organs function GIT function

Accessory organs Glands share in process of Gastrointestinal tract from mouth to the rectum Is
digestion Liver, pancreas and salivary glands passage of the food
Accessory organs (secret enzymes)

Mouth (oral cavity)

➢ Mouth subdivisions (Parts):
Oral cavity [mouth cavity] – divided into vestibule & oral cavity proper

✓ oral cavity proper: the area from lips internally and gum and teeth externally, the main open area of
the mouth. (With tongue) (between teeth)
three sets of salivary glands surrounding the oral cavity secrete saliva

✓ Vestibule: is pocket-like part of the mouth between check (lateral to teeth)

⎯ Externally – lips & cheeks
⎯ Internally – teeth & gums

The roof of the mouth is formed by the hard palate and the soft palate

➢ Function: Mechanical digestion by teeth.

Pharynx
➢ Parts: It has three subdivisions. nasopharynx, oropharynx laryngopharynx, the pharynx continues as
esophagus
➢ Function: Both food and air passageway.

It receives food and air from the mouth, and air from the nasal cavities. Runs from the posterior oral and nasal
cavities to the opening of the esophagus and larynx.

Esophagus
The esophagus is a muscular tube that contracts rhythmically (peristalsis) to push food toward the stomach.
Once the food is in the stomach, it will close. This prevents reflux (backflow) and emesis or regurgitation

➢ Parts: (Esophageal sphincters)

⎯ Upper esophageal sphincter: forces the food into esophagus
⎯ Lower esophageal sphincter: prevents gastric acid to reflux into esophagus
➢ Function: passage of food.
 Stomach
It has two surfaces, two curvatures, two notches and four parts

❖ Parts: which include the cardiac region The fundus The body The pylorus.

❖ The cardiac region: closest to the heart.

❖ The fundus: is the upper, rounded portion of the stomach.

❖ The body: is the middle portion

❖ The pylorus: has a powerful, circular muscle at its base, (the pyloric sphincter). This sphincter
controls the emptying of the stomach

❖ Curvatures: lesser and greater curvatures

❖ Surfaces: anterior and posterior surfaces

➢ Function: (Digestion)
⎯ Mechanical digestion: by muscles.
⎯ Chemical digestion: by enzymes and HCL.
✓ After eating, the muscular movements of the stomach and the mixing of food with gastric juice forms a
semifluid mass called chyme.
✓ The mucosa of the stomach is folded and called Ruga Reservoir for food before release into small
intestine. Secretes gastric juice Mixes food and gastric juice to form a soupy liquid called chyme.
✓ Gastric juice contains HCI: kills bacteria and denatures proteins Pepsin (secretes from chef cell)
digestion of proteins Intrinsic factor absorption of vitamin B12

Small intestine
The small intestine receives chyme from the stomach, bile from the liver, and pancreatic juice from the
pancreas The small intestine has the following three parts

⎯ DUODENUM
⎯ JEJUNUM
⎯ ILEUM
➢ Function: Most digestion and absorption
⎯ DUODENUM: Is G or C shaped, it is four parts, The second part receives the bile and pancreatic ducts.
⎯ The jejunums an eight-foot-long section of the small intestine in which the digestive process continues.
⎯ The ileum connects the small intestine to the large intestine.
 Large intestine
➢ Parts of the large intestine (colon)
⎯ CAECUM (vermiform appendix) (right-side)
⎯ ASCENDING COLON (right-side)
⎯ TRANSVERSE COLON (upper left and right) (middle)
⎯ DESCENDING COLON (left side)
⎯ SIGMOID COLON (left side)
⎯ RECTUM
⎯ ANAL CANAL
➢ Function: reabsorbs some water and some ions

Accessory glands of digestive system

•Salivary glands
•LIVER (GALL BLADDER)
•PANCREAS

Salivary glands
➢ Parotid gland: At the side of the mandible (open in to against upper 2 molar teeth).
➢ Submandibular gland: Below the mandible
➢ Sublingual gland: Below the tongue

Liver
o It is the largest gland in the body
o The main functions are detoxification, coagulation factor production and bile production
o It has diaphragmatic surface and visceral surface
o The visceral surface contains the gall bladder, bile ducts and portal vein (hilum)
o It drains through hepatic ducts to the gall bladder
Duct are (Right hepatic duct, Left hepatic ducts, Common hepatic duct, cystic duct and common bile duct).
✓ gall bladder function storage of bile
✓ Obstruction of the bile ducts leads to obstructive jaundice

Pancreas
• Pancreas is mixed gland
• Endocrine gland by secretion of insulin
• Exocrine by secretion of enzymes.
➢ It is four parts:
HEAD, NECK, BODY And TAIL