The Digestive system

●​ The digestive system is a group of organs working together to break down food into
smaller molecules that can be absorbed into the bloodstream for energy, growth, and
repair.
●​ It's essentially a long tube, starting at the mouth and ending at the anus, also known as
the alimentary canal.
●​ Accessory organs (like the liver, gallbladder, and pancreas) play crucial roles but food
doesn't directly pass through them.
II. Key Processes of Digestion:
●​ Ingestion: Taking food into the mouth.
●​ Digestion: Breaking down large, insoluble food molecules into small, soluble ones. This
involves both:
○​ Mechanical Digestion: Physical breakdown of food (chewing, churning).
○​ Chemical Digestion: Breakdown of food using enzymes.
●​ Absorption: Movement of digested food molecules from the digestive tract into the blood
or lymph.
●​ Assimilation: Utilization of absorbed food molecules by the body's cells.
●​ Egestion (or Elimination): Removal of undigested waste products from the body.
III. Organs of the Digestive System:
1.​ Mouth (Buccal Cavity):
○​ Ingestion occurs here.
○​ Mechanical Digestion: Teeth chew food (mastication). Tongue mixes food with
saliva.
○​ Chemical Digestion: Salivary glands produce saliva containing salivary amylase,
which begins the digestion of starch into sugars.
2.​ Esophagus:
○​ A muscular tube that carries food from the mouth to the stomach.
○​ Food moves down by peristalsis - wave-like muscular contractions.
3.​ Stomach:
○​ A J-shaped muscular organ.
○​ Mechanical Digestion: Churns and mixes food with digestive juices.
○​ Chemical Digestion:
■​ Secretes gastric juice containing:
■​ Hydrochloric acid (HCl): Kills bacteria and provides an acidic medium
for enzyme action.
■​ Pepsin: An enzyme that begins the digestion of proteins into smaller
peptides.
■​ Mucus: Protects the stomach lining from the corrosive action of HCl.
○​ Partially digested food in the stomach is called chyme.
4.​ Small Intestine:
○​ A long, coiled tube where most digestion and absorption occur. It has three parts:
■​ Duodenum: Receives chyme from the stomach and secretions from the liver
and pancreas.
■​ Jejunum: Primary site for nutrient absorption.
■​ Ileum: Absorbs vitamin B12 and bile salts; connects to the large intestine.
○​ Chemical Digestion:
■​ Pancreatic juice (from the pancreas) contains enzymes like:
■​ Pancreatic amylase: Digests remaining starch into sugars.
 ■​ Lipase: Digests fats (lipids) into fatty acids and glycerol.
■​ Trypsin (and other proteases): Digests proteins and peptides into
amino acids.
■​ Bile (produced by the liver, stored in the gallbladder) emulsifies fats, breaking
them down into smaller droplets for easier digestion by lipase.
■​ Intestinal juice (secreted by the small intestine lining) contains enzymes that
complete the digestion of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.
○​ Absorption: The lining of the small intestine has finger-like projections called villi
(and even smaller microvilli) that increase the surface area for efficient absorption of
digested nutrients into the blood and lymph.
5.​ Large Intestine (Colon):
○​ Wider and shorter than the small intestine.
○​ Absorbs water and some salts from the undigested food.
○​ Contains bacteria that ferment undigested material and produce some vitamins.
○​ Forms and stores feces (undigested waste).
6.​ Rectum and Anus:
○​ The rectum is the final section of the large intestine where feces are temporarily
stored.
○​ The anus is the opening through which feces are eliminated from the body
(egestion).
IV. Accessory Digestive Organs:
●​ Salivary Glands: Produce saliva containing amylase.
●​ Liver: Produces bile, which aids in fat digestion.
●​ Gallbladder: Stores and concentrates bile.
●​ Pancreas: Produces pancreatic juice containing digestive enzymes and bicarbonate (to
neutralize stomach acid).
V. Key Enzymes and Their Actions:
Enzyme Source Substrate Product(s)
Salivary Amylase Salivary Glands Starch Maltose (sugar)
Pepsin Stomach Proteins Peptides
Pancreatic Amylase Pancreas Starch Maltose (sugar)
Lipase Pancreas, Small Fats (Lipids) Fatty Acids, Glycerol
Intestine
Trypsin Pancreas Proteins, Peptides Smaller Peptides,
Amino Acids