THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM – ADVANCED NOTES
1. OVERVIEW OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
The digestive system is a long muscular tube (alimentary canal) plus associated glands. It performs
ingestion,
digestion (mechanical and chemical), absorption, and egestion.
Main Components: Mouth, pharynx, oesophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, rectum,
anus.
Accessory organs: Salivary glands, liver, gall bladder, pancreas.
2. MOUTH
• Ingestion and chewing (mastication).
• Salivary amylase digests starch to maltose.
• Tongue forms bolus and aids swallowing.
• Teeth provide mechanical breakdown.
3. PHARYNX
• Passageway for food.
• Epiglottis closes trachea during swallowing.
4. OESOPHAGUS
• Muscular tube connecting pharynx to stomach.
• Uses peristalsis to push bolus downward.
5. STOMACH
• Stores food temporarily (2–4 hours).
• Churning mechanically digests food.
• Gastric juice contains HCl and pepsin.
• Pepsin digests proteins into polypeptides.
• Acidic pH (~2) kills microbes and activates enzymes.
6. SMALL INTESTINE
Duodenum:
• Receives bile for fat emulsification.
• Receives pancreatic juice with lipase, amylase, proteases.
• Neutralizes acidic chyme.
Jejunum & Ileum:
• Final chemical digestion.
• Main site of absorption of glucose, amino acids, fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, and water.
• Villi and microvilli increase surface area greatly.
7. LARGE INTESTINE (COLON)
• Absorbs water and mineral salts.
• Contains bacteria that produce vitamin K.
• Forms faeces.
8. RECTUM & ANUS
• Stores faeces.
• Egestion controlled by anal sphincters.
9. ACCESSORY ORGANS
Liver: Produces bile, detoxifies blood, stores glycogen, synthesizes plasma proteins.
Gall Bladder: Stores and concentrates bile.
Pancreas: Produces digestive enzymes and hormones.
10. DIGESTIVE ENZYMES SUMMARY
• Amylase – starch to maltose
• Maltase – maltose to glucose
• Lipase – lipids to fatty acids + glycerol
• Proteases – proteins to peptides
11. COMMON DIGESTIVE DISORDERS
• Ulcers
• Constipation
• Diarrhoea
• Indigestion