ingestion
take in food
digestion
breaks food down into subunits our body can use
CHOs are digested into…
monosaccharides
Lipids are digested into…
glycerol and fatty acids
Proteins are digested into…
amino acids
Nucleic acids are digested into…
nucleotides
absorption
absorb subunits into our blood which acts as a “taxi” to carry them to all cells of the body
elimination
gets rid of indigestible materials
what are the 4 “steps” of the digestive system
ingestion
digestion
absorption
elimination
digestive tract (2)
long tube (9m)
food enters one end of the tube and waste (feces) leaves the other end of the tube
7 part of the digestive tract in order
mouth, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, & anus
Accessory digestive organs (3)
add substances to the food to help digest it
4 “extra” parts of the digestive system
salivary glands, liver, gallbladder, and pancreas
2 parts of the digestive system
digestive tract
accessory digestive organs
2 ways that food is digested
mechanically digested & enzymatically digested by diffrent digestive enzymes
define mechanically digested
broken down into small pieces by the teeth
define enzymatically digested
the digestive system produces at least one digestive enzyme to break down each of the 4 main types of organic molecules that food is made of
salivary glands
release saliva into the mouth
functions of saliva (2)
lubricates the food so it slides down the esophagus more easily
contains the digestive enzymes salivary amylase which breaks down polysaccharides into monosacs and disacs
What does salivary amylase do?
breaks down carbohydrates into monosacs and disacs
Peristalsis
wave-like contractions of the smooth muscle (that forms part of the wall of the digestive track) that pushes food forward
Epiglottis
during swallowing it covers the opening to the trachea so that food goes into the esophagus
Stomach (4)
the inside surface of it is highly folded when empty
3 parts: cardiac sphincter, pyloric sphincter, & rugae
the inner surface of it is lined with pits
pits in it lead to gastric glands
what are the folds in the stomach called?
rugae
gastric glands secrete (3)
mucus, pepsinogen, & hydrochloric acid
function of:
a) mucus
b) pepsinogen
c) hydrochloric acid
a) coats the inside of the stomach and protects it from acid
b) a digestive enzyme that is activated to it's active form (pepsin) by acid
c) activates pepsin and kills microorganisms (e.g. bacteria) found in food
how is food moved through the digestive tract?
peristalsis, wave-like contractions of the smooth muscle (that forms part of the wall of the digestive tract) that pushes food forward
what prevents food from going down the wrong way?
the epiglottis
draw how an enzyme breaks down sucrose
Ulcer (3)
a sore that develops in the stomach when there is not enough mucus to protect it's inner wall
in the past it was believed that ulcers were caused by stress and by spicy foods
it is now know that most ulcers are caused when a person is infected with a bacterium called Helicobacter pylori
How can Helicobacter pylori be killed
by taking antibiotics
Helicobacter pylori
a bacterium that can cause ulcers
Chyme
a soupy liquid that food becomes when the chewed food mixes with gastric juices in the stomach
non-digestive functions of the liver
it makes blood clotting proteins
what does -ogen indicate?
an inactive enzyme
3 digestive function of the liver
filters out extra sugar from the blood and stores it as glycogen
detoxifies chemicals that can harm the body (e.g. alcohol, certain drugs)
produce a liquid called bile
Bile
helps digest lipids by breaking down large fat droplets into tiny fat droplets
Gallbladder
stores bile until it is released into the duodenum through the bile duct
Pancreas
produces digestive enzymes that mix with the chyme in the small intestine
4 digestive enzymes found in the pancreas and their use
Pancreatic amylase - breaks down CHOs onto monosacs
Trypsin - breaks down proteins into amino acids
Chymotrypsin - same as trypsin
Lipase - breaks down mono-, di-, and triglycerides into glycerol and fatty acids
Small intestine (2)
most absorption of nutrients into the blood occurs through the wall of the small intestine
to make absorption more efficient, the small intestine has evolved to have huge inner surface area
what increases the surface area of the small intestine? (4)
it is very long (7 meters)
it's inner surface is folded
it's inner surface is lined with villi
each villus has microvilli
Villus (4)
the small intestine is lined with millions of villi
each villi is 1mm long
an arterioles (small artery) carries blood into a villus
the arteriole branches to form capillaries (the smallest blood vessels)
How do organic molecules enter the villus?
monosacs, amino acids, and nucleotides enter a villus by diffusing through it's epithelium into the capillaries and are carried to all cells of the body
fatty acids and glycerol enter a lacteal and are then carries into the blood
Large intestine (2)
aka the colon
the last part of the digestive system
3 functions of the large intestine
excess water gets absorbed through the wall of the large intestine into the blood
chyme is now feces
trillions of bacteria live in the LI
some of those bacteria make vitamins that we need
undigestible things (e.g. cellulose) collect in the rectum (which is the last part of the LI)