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? Digestion: The process of breaking down large
food molecules into smaller molecules that can
be readily absorbed by the body.
? Digestion occurs in an eight-metre-long called
gut or alimentary canal.
? The gut begins at the mouth and ends at the
anus.
? Liver and pancreas, secrete chemicals to break
down the food that we eat.
? Digestion takes place in two stages:
a) Physical digestion ² big pieces of food are
broken down into smaller pieces by teeth.
b) Chemical digestion ² enzymes break up
complex food molecules into smaller
molecules.
? nzymes are substances which act as catalysts
and generally speed up the chemical reactions in
our body.
? There are three main kinds of enzymes in our gut.
They are;
a) Amylase which breaks down carbohydrate
molecules such as starch
b) Protease which breaks down protein molecules
c) Lipases which breaks down fat molecules.

  
? The digestive system consists of all the organs
in the body that help in the digestion of food.
? Food is pushed along the alimentary canal by
the muscular walls that contract and expand
alternately through the process of peristalsis.



? Food is chewed and broken up into small

pieces by the teeth.
? Small pieces of food have a wide surface area
for the saliva to act upon.
? The salivary gland secretes saliva; that is
alkaline and contains an enzyme called salivary
amylase (ptyalin).
? Salivary amylase digests starch into maltose
(sugar).
Salivary amylase
Starch maltose



? Digested food is shaped into a bolus by the

tongue and swallowed.
? The bolus moves down the oesophagus in a
wave-like action called peristalsis.
? Peristalsis occurs when the oesophageal wall
contracts and relaxes alternately.



? Food is mixed with gastric juices in the

stomach.
? Gastric juices are secreted from the cells of the
stomach wall. Gastric juices contain:
a) Hydrochloric acid

b) Proteases
? The hydrochloric acid
a) Stops the action of salivary amylase

b) Provides an acidic medium suitable for the

action of proteases
c) Changes inactive forms of proteases to its
active forms
d) Kills bacteria in the food
? Proteases catalyse the breakdown of proteins
into polypeptides or peptones.

Protease

Protein Polypeptides/peptones
? cucus protects the stomach walls from being
digested by proteases.
? Peristalsis in the stomach wall churns the food
and mixes it with the gastric juices.
? The semi-solid food is called chyme.
  

? The duodenum is the first part of the small

intestine.
? It receives bile from the gall bladder and
pancreatic juice and from the pancreas.
? Bile is a greenish fluid produced by the liver
and is stored in the gall bladder.
? Bile emulsifies fats into oil droplets for lipase to
act upon and neutralises the acidic chyme.
? Pancreatic juice contains amylase, protease
and lipase.
Pancreatic amylase
a) Starch caltose
Protease
b) Proteins Polypeptides
Lipase
c) Fats Fatty acids + Glycerol


? This part of the small intestine secretes

intestinal juice which contains maltase,
protease and lipase.
 caltase
a) caltose Glucose

Protease
b) Polypeptides amino acids

Lipase
c) Fats Fatty acids + Glycerol
? The end products of digestion are
a) Glucose from carbohydrates

b) Amino acids from proteins

c) Fatty acids and glycerol from fats

? Cellulose is not digested in humans because

we do not have the enzyme cellulase.