Digestive system
The human digestive system has two important functions:
1- Breaking down large food molecules into smaller, usable molecules.
2- Absorbing these smaller molecules.
Note: vitamins and minerals are small enough to be absorbed without being digested
The digestive tract (alimentary canal) is about 30 feet long made of smooth
(involuntary) muscle that pushes the food along the digestive tract by a process called
peristalsis, these muscles are controlled by autonomic nervous system.
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Mouth
Mechanical and chemical digestion begins here (bolus)
Starch digestion begins (from polysaccharide to disaccharide) by salivary amylase
in saliva secreted from salivary glands.
pH neutral is neutral (7)
Type of teeth is related to dietary habits:
Omnivores (like humans) have three types of teeth incisors for cutting, canines for
tearing and molars for grinding.
Esophagus
No digestion occurs here
After swallowing, food is directed into the esophagus and away from windpipe by
the epiglottis.
Stomach
It has a thick muscular wall that churns food mechanically and secrets gastric juice
which contain hydrochloric acid and enzymes
Both mechanical and chemical digestion occurs here
Protein digestion begins here: HCL kills microbes, break down muscles (meat), and
activates the inactive enzyme pepsinogen to become pepsin
The enzyme renin aids in the digestion of the protein in milk
pH acidic (2-3)
the cardiac sphincter at the top of the stomach keeps acidified food from backing
up into esophagus and burning it, the pyloric sphincter at the bottom of the
stomach keeps the food in the stomach long enough to be digested
Mucus secreted in stomach protects it from acid, excessive acid can cause an
ulcer to form in the esophagus, the stomach, and the duodenum (upper
intestine), also a particular bacterium called helicobacter pylori is a common
cause of ulcers.
Small intestine
All digestion is completed and nutrients are absorbed here.
It is 6 meters long and pH is 8
All digestion is completed in the duodenum (first 10 inches of intestine).
Peptidases, such as trypsin and chemotrypsin, continue to break down protein.
Nuclease (secreted by pancreas) hydrolyze nucleic acid into nucleotides.
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Lipase (secreted from pancreas) break down fat emulsion.
Disaccharidases (secreted by intestine) break down disaccharides
millions of fingerlike projections called villi line the small intestine and absorb all
nutrients that were previously released from digested food
each villus contains capillaries, which absorb amino acids, vitamins, and
monosaccharaides directly into the bloodstream, and a lacteal, which absorbs
fatty acids and glycerol into the lymphatic system and also have microvilli that
increase the rate of absorption
Liver
associated organ (not a part of the alimentary canal)
Produces bile (salts) that emulsifies fats (mechanical digestion)
Bile = pH 11 neutralizes chime (acidified food from stomach) entering small
intestine
Sends bile to the gallbladder until its release into the small intestine
Liver has other functions besides associating digestion:
1- Breaks down and recycles red blood cells
2- Detoxifies blood; removes alcohol and drugs
3- Produces cholesterol necessary for structure of cell membrane
4- Produces the nitrogenous waste urea from protein metabolism
Gallbladder
Associated organ (not a part of the alimentary canal)
Stores bile that is produced in liver
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Bile emulsifies fats in small intestine, body can function well without a gallbladder
but needs to avoid fatty and greasy foods in his diet.
Pancreas
Associated organ that is not a part of the alimentary canal.
A gland that produces enzymes and secretes them into small intestine to break
down: Carbohydrates (amylases), proteins (peptidases), lipids (lipases), and
nucleic acids (nucleases).
Also pancreas produces sodium bicarbonate, a base that neutralizes stomach acid
enabling intestinal enzymes, which require a basic environment to be effective
Large intestine or colon
No digestion occurs here
Major functions:
1) Egestion: removal of undigested waste (not excretion because wastes didn’t enter
our cells)
2) Vitamin production: bacteria symbionts living in the colon produce vitamin K and
vitamin B (folic acid)
3) Reabsorption of water: if amount of water reabsorbed from intestine to the body
is inadequate it causes constipation or diarrhea
Rectum
Last 7 to 8 inches stores feces until their release through the anus.
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Notes:
Humans do not obtain any energy from eating cellulose because the required enzyme
necessary to hydrolyze cellulose is lacking.
All the digestive system is controlled by involuntary muscles except mouth pharynx, and
anus.
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