Allied Schools (Al-Rehman Campus)

Grade 10 (Biology)

Unit 1: Digestive System

Exercise short questions

Q1. Write the functions of the following:

Ans. Saliva:

Two key functions of saliva are:

1. Breaking down food: Saliva contains enzymes like amylase that break down
carbohydrates into simpler sugars, making it easier to digest food.

2. Lubricating food: Saliva helps moisten food, making it easier to chew and swallow, and
also facilitates smooth speech and taste.

Gall Bladder:

Two key functions of the gallbladder are:

1. Storing bile: The gallbladder stores bile produced by the liver, releasing it into the
small intestine to aid in fat digestion.

2. Concentrating bile: The gallbladder concentrates bile by removing excess water and
electrolytes, making it more effective in digesting fats.

Pancreas:

Two key functions of the pancreas are:

1. Producing digestive enzymes: The pancreas produces enzymes like amylase, lipase,
and trypsin that help break down carbohydrates, fats, and proteins into smaller
molecules for absorption.

2. Regulating blood sugar levels: The pancreas produces hormones like insulin and
glucagon that help regulate blood sugar levels by facilitating glucose uptake in cells and
releasing glucose from stored glycogen.

Villus:

Two key functions of villi (singular: villus) in the small intestine are:

1. Increasing surface area for absorption: Villi increase the surface area of the small
intestine, allowing for more efficient absorption of nutrients from food into the
bloodstream.

2. Facilitating nutrient uptake: Villi contain microvilli and specialized cells that help
absorb and process nutrients, making them available to the body.

Bile:
- Bile emulsifies fats, making them easier to digest.

- Bile absorbs fat-soluble vitamins, including vitamins A, D, E, and K.

- Bile neutralizes stomach acid, creating an optimal environment for digestion.

- Bile removes waste products, such as bilirubin and cholesterol, from the body.

Gastric gland:

Gastric glands in the stomach lining produce various substances that aid in digestion.

Digestive Functions

1. Producing digestive enzymes: Gastric glands produce pepsinogen, which is converted

2. Producing gastric amylase: Gastric glands produce gastric amylase, which breaks
down carbohydrates into simpler sugars.

Protective Functions

1. Producing mucus: Gastric glands produce mucus that protects the stomach lining from
acidic digestive juices.

2. Producing bicarbonate: Gastric glands produce bicarbonate, which helps neutralize

Other Functions

1. Producing intrinsic factor: Gastric glands produce intrinsic factor, a protein that helps
absorb vitamin B12.

2. Regulating digestion: Gastric glands produce hormones like gastrin, which stimulates
the release of digestive enzymes and acids.

Overall, gastric glands play a crucial role in digestion and maintaining the health of the
stomach lining.

Renin:

Renin is an enzyme produced by the kidneys that plays a crucial role in regulating blood
pressure. Renin also stimulates the release of aldosterone, a hormone that regulates
electrolyte balance and fluid retention, further contributing to blood pressure regulation.

HCl in stomach:

One key role of hydrochloric acid (HCl) in the stomach is to create an acidic environment
that activates digestive enzymes like pepsinogen, allowing proteins to be broken down
into smaller peptides.

HCl also helps kill bacteria and other pathogens that enter the stomach with food,
protecting the body from infection.

Hepatic Portal Vein:

- Carrying blood rich in nutrients from the digestive organs (such as the stomach, small
intestine, and spleen) to the liver for processing and detoxification.

- Allowing the liver to filter out toxins, metabolize nutrients, and regulate their
distribution to the rest of the body.

Q2. Draw and label longitudinal section of villus.

Ans.

Q3. Name the structures that secrete enzymes necessary for human digestion.

Ans. The main structures that secrete enzymes necessary for human digestion:

- Salivary glands (secrete amylase and lipase)

- Stomach lining (gastric glands secrete pepsinogen and gastric amylase)

- Pancreas (secretes pancreatic amylase, lipase, and proteases like trypsin and
chymotrypsin)

- Small intestine (secretes enzymes like lactase, sucrase, and maltase from the intestinal
mucosa)

These structures work together to break down carbohydrates, proteins, and fats into
smaller molecules that can be absorbed and utilized by the body.

Q4. Why is pepsin formed in inactive form pepsinogen?

Ans. Pepsin is formed in an inactive form called pepsinogen to:

- Prevent self-digestion of the stomach lining: If pepsin were active within the gastric
glands, it would digest the proteins in the stomach lining, causing damage and
potentially leading to ulcers.
- Allow activation in the correct location: Pepsinogen is activated by the low pH of the
stomach lumen, ensuring that pepsin is only active where it is needed for protein
digestion.

This mechanism protects the stomach lining and ensures that protein digestion occurs
efficiently in the stomach.

Q5. Why must digested food be distributed by blood in man and other animals?

Ans. Digested food must be distributed by blood in humans and other animals because:

- Blood serves as a transport medium: It carries nutrients from the digestive system to
the liver for processing and then to the rest of the body’s cells.

- Cells need a constant supply of nutrients: Blood ensures that cells receive the
necessary nutrients, like glucose and amino acids, for energy production, growth, and
repair.

- Waste removal is also facilitated: Blood helps remove waste products from cells and
transports them to organs like the kidneys and liver for excretion.

In short, blood plays a vital role in distributing nutrients and removing waste,
maintaining the body’s overall health and function.

Q6. How is chewing important to your digestion?

Ans. Chewing is important for digestion because:

- It breaks down food into smaller particles: Increasing the surface area of food allows
enzymes to act more efficiently.

- It mixes food with saliva: Saliva contains enzymes like amylase that start breaking
down carbohydrates.

- It stimulates digestive enzymes: Chewing triggers the release of digestive enzymes in

In short, chewing prepares food for further digestion and absorption in the stomach and
small intestine, making the digestive process more efficient.

Q7. What would happen if pancreatic juice did not reach to your small
intestine?

Ans. If pancreatic juice didn’t reach the small intestine, digestion and absorption of
nutrients would be severely impaired:

- Carbohydrate digestion would be incomplete: Pancreatic amylase breaks down complex

- Protein digestion would be affected: Pancreatic proteases like trypsin and chymotrypsin
break down proteins into amino acids.
- Fat digestion would be impaired: Pancreatic lipase breaks down fats into fatty acids and
glycerol.

This would lead to malabsorption of nutrients, potentially causing deficiencies, weight

Q8. Why pepsin is unable to perform its enzymatic activity in small intestine?

Ans. Pepsin is unable to perform its enzymatic activity in the small intestine because:

- The pH is too high: Pepsin requires an acidic environment (pH 1.5-3.5) to be active, but
the small intestine has a more neutral pH (around 6-7).

- Pepsin is denatured: The higher pH and presence of bile salts in the small intestine can
denature pepsin, making it inactive.

In contrast, the stomach provides the acidic environment that pepsin needs to break
down proteins. Other enzymes, like trypsin and chymotrypsin from the pancreas, take
over protein digestion in the small intestine.

Q9. Which parts of digestive system can come in contact with bile?

Ans. Bile can come into contact with several parts of the digestive system.

- Gallbladder: Stores and concentrates bile, releasing it when needed.

- Small intestine: Specifically, the duodenum receives bile from the liver and gallbladder
to aid in fat digestion and absorption.

- Liver: Produces bile, which is then transported to the gallbladder for storage.

- Bile ducts: Carry bile from the liver to the gallbladder and from the gallbladder to the
small intestine.

These areas work together to ensure bile is produced, stored, and released where it’s
needed for proper digestion.

Q10. Some cells of the stomach secrete mucous for protection of stomach wall.
Suggest what stomach wall need to protect against.

Ans. The stomach wall needs protection from:

- Hydrochloric acid (HCl): A strong acid that breaks down food, but can also damage the
stomach lining.

- Digestive enzymes like pepsin: These enzymes break down proteins, but can also digest
the stomach wall if not controlled.

- Mechanical stress: Food and digestive processes can cause friction and irritation to the
stomach lining.

The mucous layer provides a protective barrier, shielding the stomach wall from these
harsh conditions and preventing damage and ulcers.
Q12. Write the function of each type of teeth.

Ans. Incisors: Used for biting and cutting food into smaller pieces.

Canines: Used for piercing and tearing food, especially meat.

Premolars: Used for crushing and tearing food into smaller pieces.

Molars: Used for grinding and crushing food into a pulp, preparing it for
swallowing.

Each type of tooth plays a specific role in the process of breaking down food for
digestion.

Q13. Describe digestion in oral cavity?

Ans. Digestion in the oral cavity, or mouth, is the initial stage of the digestive process.
Following processes occur in oral cavity during digestion:

Mechanical breakdown: Teeth break down food into smaller pieces through chewing
(mastication).

Salivary enzymes: Saliva contains enzymes like amylase and lipase that start breaking
down carbohydrates and fats.

Food moistening: Saliva moistens food, making it easier to chew and swallow.

Formation of bolus: Chewed food is formed into a soft, rounded mass (bolus) that’s easy
to swallow.

This initial breakdown of food in the oral cavity sets the stage for further digestion in the
stomach and small intestine.

Q14. Differentiate between mechanical and chemical digestion?