The digestive system

Or..

Human alimentary canal / gut/

digestive system/digestive tract
Where food is digested [broken down] by
physical/ mechanical and chemical
means
into small, soluble substances which can
be absorbed into the blood

6 metres of tube!

 Food moves in one direction, by

peristalsis waves of muscular
contraction, allowing digestion and
absorption to take place

 Specialised areas of
alimentary canal
MOUTH
PHARYNX
OESOPHAGUS
STOMACH
DUODENUM +ILEUM =
SMALL INTESTINE
COLON + CAECUM +
APPENDIX + RECTUM
= LARGE INTESTINE
ANUS

DIGESTION
Definition-

What do enzymes do?

MOUTH [buccal/oral cavity]

receives food
teeth cut and chew
food [mastication]
produce larger
surface area for
enzyme action
Physical digestion

mouth
Mixes food with saliva
lubrication, neutral
pH
saliva contains
lysozyme + salivary
amylase
starch > maltose

Starch hydrolysis

Salivary glands

swallowing
bolus of food forced down oesophagus,
not trachea!
Epiglottis closes

OESOPHAGUS
25cm muscular tube
connecting mouth
with stomach
secretion of mucus
peristalsis forces food
down
action of salivary
amylase continues

STOMACH
muscular sac temporary reservoir for
food
closed by rings of muscle cardiac
sphincter at top, pyloric sphincter at base
holds up to 5li for up to 3-4 hours

Stomach
has circular,
longitudinal + oblique
muscles
And internal ridges
mix food into soupy
liquid chyme
physical digestion

glands in wall produce gastric

juice
Mucus protects stomach lining
Hydrochloric acid kills most bacteria,
activates enzymes, creates optimum pH
for stomach enzymes

Gastric juice
pepsin a protease,
an endopeptidase
breaks peptide bonds
within a
polypeptide/protein
secreted as
pepsinogen,
activated by HCl

?
How do you break a peptide bond?
By hydrolysis [adding a molecule of water]
The reaction is catalysed by a protease
enzyme
What is an endopeptidase?
A protease enzyme that acts on peptide
bonds within the polypeptide

Gastric juice
rennin coagulates milk protein only in
babies

Gastric juice
gastric lipase- lipids > fatty acids +
glycerol

Gastric band*

Gastric by-pass*

SMALL INTESTINE
DUODENUM
tube leaving stomach
pancreatic duct brings secretions from
liver bile, and pancreas pancreatic
juice

bile
greenish liquid [contains bile pigments
from the recycling of haemoglobin]
0.75 li/day
stored in gall bladder, released when
needed

Bile
alkaline [high pH] neutralises stomach
acid, creates right pH for action of
pancreatic enzymes
contains no enzymes

Bile

emulsifies lipids large lumps > small

droplets in water
increases surface area for action of
enzymes

pancreatic juice
alkaline
pancreatic amylase
starch > maltose
pancreatic lipase
fats > fatty acids +
glycerol
All hydrolysis
reactions [adding
water]

Pancreatic juice
trypsin a protease and
endopeptidase
chymotrypsin a
protease and
endopeptidase
Secreted in inactive forms
Working at certain
peptide bonds within a
polypeptide

Pancreatic juice
carboxypeptidase
a protease and
exopeptidase
Breaking off amino
acids[hydrolysing
peptide bonds] from
the ends of
polypeptides

Dont forget!
bile and pancreatic juice act within the
duodenum

The jejunum* is really just part of

the ileum

ILEUM
pancreatic enzymes
still working
ileum wall contains
structures called villi
for absorption of food
[more later!]

villi
epithelial cells of villi
contain enzymes in
their cell membranes
as food is absorbed,
enzymes do final
stages of digestion

villi

maltase maltose > glucose

sucrase sucrose > glucose + fructose
lactase lactose > glucose + galactose
peptidase [exopeptidase] peptides >
amino acids

Action of sucrase

Fructose itself [from fruits etc] is

probably absorbed by facilitated
diffusion by special transport
proteins

*Fructose
Can be converted to glycogen in the liver

Excess fructose consumption has recently

been linked to insulin resistance [a form of
diabetes] and obesity

ABSORPTION
of small soluble molecules into blood or
lymph

MOUTH
some absorption through thin epithelium
under tongue and cheek epithelium
certain drugs for angina, vomiting
homeopathic remedies
some alcohol

STOMACH
some small, lipid-soluble molecules can
go through stomach wall into blood
capillaries
alcohol
aspirin and other pain killers

SMALL INTESTINE
main region for
absorption
lined with tiny hairs
called villi
To increase surface
area in contact with
food
each containing blood
capillaries and lymph
vessels [lacteals]

villi
Epithelial cells have microvilli
To increase surface area still more

villi
blood capillaries absorb
glucose, other
monosaccharides, amino
acids, vitamins, minerals,
water
Mostly by diffusion, some
active transport
capillaries join hepatic
portal vein to liver, where
some foods are stored or
processed [more later!]

villi
lacteals absorb fatty acids and glycerol
lipids re-form here, hence milky
appearance of lacteal
lymph vessels eventually join blood
system

Colon absorption of water into

blood

COLON

main function is absorption of water and

minerals
Food moves along in a series of mass
movements
contains large population of bacteria like E.coli
gut bacteria

Gut bacteria/ gut flora

digest unutilized food
repress the growth of harmful
microorganisms the Barrier Effect
train the immune system to respond only
to pathogens
defend against some diseases
produce vitamins [B group, K]

Gut bacteria shouldnt be killed

off by antibiotics!

LARGE INTESTINE contains

CAECUM + APPENDIX
largely redundant in humans
in herbivores like horses and rabbits
caecum is large and contains cellulosedigesting bacteria

RECTUM
short tube for temporary storage of faeces

ANUS
surrounded by anal sphincters under
voluntary control in adults
faeces contain indigestible and undigested
food, bacteria, lining cells, bile pigment