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Overview of the Human Digestive System

The human digestive system breaks food down into smaller molecules that can be absorbed and used by the body. It involves several organs including the mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, liver, gallbladder and pancreas. Food is ingested, moved through mechanical and chemical digestion, absorbed in the small intestine and waste is eliminated from the large intestine. The digestive system uses both mechanical and chemical processes to break down food into nutrients that can be used by cells throughout the body.

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Ali Maher
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11 views17 pages

Overview of the Human Digestive System

The human digestive system breaks food down into smaller molecules that can be absorbed and used by the body. It involves several organs including the mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, liver, gallbladder and pancreas. Food is ingested, moved through mechanical and chemical digestion, absorbed in the small intestine and waste is eliminated from the large intestine. The digestive system uses both mechanical and chemical processes to break down food into nutrients that can be used by cells throughout the body.

Uploaded by

Ali Maher
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

HUMAN DIGESTIVE SYSTEM

DIGESTION

• Phases Include
1. Ingestion
2. Movement
3. Mechanical and Chemical Digestion
4. Absorption
5. Elimination

2
DIGESTION
• Types
• Mechanical (physical)
• Chew
• Tear
• Grind
• Mash
• Mix
• Chemical
• Enzymatic reactions to improve digestion of
• Carbohydrates
• Proteins
• Lipids

3
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM ORGANIZATION

• Gastrointestinal (Gl) tract


– Tube within a tube
– Direct link/path between organs
– Structures
• Mouth
• Pharynx
• Esophagus
• Stomach
• Small intestine
• Large Intestine
• Rectum

4
MOUTH

• Teeth mechanically break • Epiglottis is a flap-like


down food into small structure at the back of the
pieces. Tongue mixes food throat that closes over the
with saliva (contains trachea preventing food
amylase, which helps break from entering it.
down starch).
ESOPHAGUS

• Approximately 10” long


• Functions include:
[Link] mucus
[Link] food from the throat
to the stomach using
muscle movement called
peristalsis
• If acid from the stomach
gets in here that’s
heartburn.
STOMACH

• J-shaped muscular bag that stores


the food you eat, breaks it down
into tiny pieces.
• Mixes food with digestive juices that
contain enzymes to break down
proteins and lipids.
• Acid in the stomach kills bacteria.
• Food found in the stomach is called
chyme.

7
SMALL INTESTINE

• Small intestines are roughly 7 meters


long
• Lining of intestine walls has finger-
like projections called villi, to
increase surface area.
• The villi are covered in microvilli
which further increases surface
area for absorption.

8
9
SMALL INTESTINE

• Nutrients from the food pass into


the bloodstream through the
small intestine walls.

• Absorbs:
• 80% ingested water
• Vitamins
• Minerals
• Carbohydrates
• Proteins
• Lipids

• Secretes digestive enzymes


10
LARGE INTESTINE

• About 5 feet long


• Accepts what small intestines
don’t absorb
• Rectum (short term storage
which holds feces before it is
expelled).
LARGE INTESTINE

• Functions
• Bacterial digestion
• Ferment carbohydrates
• Protein breakdown
– Absorbs more water
– Concentrate wastes
ACCESSORY ORGANS

• Not part of the path of


food, but play a critical
role.

• Include: Liver, gall


bladder, and pancreas
LIVER

• Directly affects digestion by


producing bile
• Bile helps digest fat
• filters out toxins and waste including
drugs and alcohol

14
GALL BLADDER

• Stores bile from the


liver, releases it into
the small intestine.
• Fatty diets can
cause gallstones

15
PANCREAS

• Produces digestive
enzymes to digest
fats, carbohydrates
and proteins
• Regulates blood
sugar by producing
insulin
FUN FACTS

• HOW LONG ARE YOUR INTESTINES? At least 25 feet


in an adult. Be glad you're not a full-grown horse -- their
coiled-up intestines are 89 feet long!
• Food drying up and hanging out in the large intestine
can last 18 hours to 2 days!
• In your lifetime, your digestive system may handle
about 50 tons!!

17

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