● The breakdown of food into a simple, diffusible
and soluble form.
Mechanical Digestion:
Using teeth and muscles of the digestive tract. It
mainly occurs in the mouth and stomach.
SOLE purpose is to churn/masticate food in order to
increase the surface area for chemical
digestion/enzymes to work.
Chemical Digestion
Done by the use of enzymes: breaks the chemical
bonds in large food substances. They are broken
down to small soluble substances that can now be
absorbed.
Peristalsis
The contraction and relaxation of muscles in the
walls of the alimentary canal to push the ball of
food (bonus) down the tube. Food is moved
through the oesophagus and the rest of the
alimentary canal by a process known as peristalsis.
The Human Alimentary Canal
Humans digest or break down their food by a
combination of physical and chemical digestion.
Each part of the digestive system is adapted
to carry out different functions. This can be to mix
foods, add enzymes, move the food along,
absorb nutrients or excrete waste.
Absorption In The Colon
Any food that is not digested in the small intestine
passes into the colon where water and mineral salts
are absorbed from it. As this undigested waste
moves along the colon to the rectum it becomes
progressively more solid as the water is absorbed.
Assimilation
Assimilation is the process by which the body
uses the soluble food molecules absorbed after
digestion.
● Glucose molecules are taken by the blood
to the liver in the hepatic portal vein and
the liver stores excess amounts as glycogen.
All body cells then use glucose for energy.
● Amino acids are taken by the blood to the liver
in the hepatic portal vein where they are sent for
building and repairing cells etc.
● Fatty acids and glycerol are carried by the lymph
to the general circulation where they are used to
make cell membranes of newly forming cells. Etc.
Action of Renin
Its role in digestion is to curdle/ coagulate/clot milk in
the stomach. This enzyme extends the period of milk
absorption by retaining the milk in the stomach. Once
mammals get older and turn to solid foods, the enzyme
is no longer needed.
Side note: it is used in cheese production
Functions of the Liver
The liver is a metabolically active organ responsible for many vital life
functions. The primary functions of the liver are:
● Bile production and excretion
● Excretion of bilirubin, cholesterol, hormones, and drugs
● Metabolism of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates
● Enzyme activation
● Storage of glycogen, vitamins, and minerals
● Synthesis of plasma proteins, such as albumin, and clotting factors
● Blood detoxification and purification
What is faeces made up of?
● Undigested food material e.g. cellulose (we do not have the enzyme
cellulase to digest this, therefore it remains unchanged chemically in
our digestive system)
● Dead cells off the walls of the intestinal tract that have been shed
● Bacteria from the gut
● Water
All these things go on into the colon/large intestine to be removed
from the digestive system.
OBJECTIVES
2.7 Relate the structures of the human alimentary canal to their functions; Simple
diagrams of the alimentary canal and internal structure of a tooth required.
Mastication
and the role of teeth in the mechanical breakdown of food to be included
2.8 Explain the role and importance of enzymes; Inclusion of catalysis. Properties of
enzymes, role of digestive enzymes in the mouth, stomach and pancreatic enzymes
in
the small intestine.
2.9 Investigate the effect of temperature and pH on the activity of the enzymes
catalase
or amylase
2.10 Describe what happens to the products of digestion after their absorption;
Simple
diagram of villi and role in absorption of products of digestion. Transport to the liver
and assimilation to be included, that is, how products are used and what happens to
excess.
DIGESTION
● The breakdown of food into a simple, diffusible and soluble form.
There are (2) types of digestion:
1) Mechanical Digestion – involve the use of teeth in the mouth breaking
food into smaller pieces.
2) Chemical Digestion – involves the use of enzymes that speed up chemical
reactions that convert food into even tinier particles.
PERISTALSIS
The contraction and relaxation of muscles in the walls of the alimentary
canal to push the ball of food (bonus) down the tube. Food is moved
through the oesophagus and the rest of the alimentary canal by a
process known as peristalsis. [Link]
TYPES OF TEETH
INTERNA
L
SECTION
OF A
TOOTH
CLASS ACTIVITY
THE HUMAN ALIMENTARY
CANAL
Humans digest or break down their
food by a combination of physical
and chemical digestion. Each part
of the digestive system is adapted
to carry out different functions.
This can be to mix foods, add
enzymes, move the food along,
absorb nutrients or excrete waste.
Processing of Food
1. Ingestion
2. Digestion
3. Absorption
4. Assimilation
5. Egestion
[Link]
Past
Paper
Question
JAN 2005
CHEMICA
L
DIGESTIO
N
● Enzymes are biological catalysts.
● They speed up the chemical reactions involved in breaking
down food.
● Each enzyme is specific – it will only speed up one reaction
with one food.
● Different enzymes work best at different pH levels. This is
related to where in the alimentary canal they are found.
Enzymes found in the stomach have an optimal pH of 2.
● As temperature increases, so does the rate of enzyme action.
Optimum temperature is often body temperature (37°C).
TYPES OF ENZYMES
Duodenum
Ileum
EMULSIFICATION
Bile is produced in the liver and stored in the gall bladder.
When food reaches the duodenum bile is released where it
turns large fat globule into small liquid droplets.
ABSORPTION IN THE ILEUM
Absorption is the process by
which the soluble food
molecules, produced in
digestion, move into the body
fluids and body cells.
Absorption occurs in the small
intestine and colon.
[Link] Internal section of a Villus
ABSORPTION
IN THE COLON
Any food that is not digested
in the small intestine passes into
the colon where water and
mineral salts are absorbed from
it. As this undigested waste
moves along the colon to the
rectum it becomes progressively
more solid as the water is
absorbed.
ASSIMILATION
Assimilation is the process by which the body uses the soluble
food molecules absorbed after digestion.
● Glucose molecules are taken by the blood to the liver in the
hepatic portal vein and the liver stores excess amounts as
glycogen. All body cells then use glucose for energy.
● Amino acids are taken by the blood to the liver in the
hepatic portal vein where they are sent for building and repairing
cells etc.
● Fatty acids and glycerol are carried by the lymph to the
general circulation where they are used to make cell membranes
of newly forming cells. etc.
[Link]
EGESTION
● Egestion is the process by which
undigested food material is removed
from the body.
● The almost solid material entering the
rectum is called faeces and consists
of undigested dietary fibre, dead
bacteria and intestinal cells, mucus
and bile pigments.
● Egestion must not be confused with
excretion which is the removal, from
the body, of waste and harmful
substances produced by the body’s
metabolism.
Past Paper Question
The End