The Digestive System

Textbook Chapter 14 Pages 259 284

The Digestive Tract

Digestion occurs in a tube from mouth to anus The function of the digestive tract is to ingest food, digest it to nutrients, and eliminate indigestible waste

The Digestive Tract

Two main processes occur simultaneously: Mechanical digestion Chemical Digestion

Mechanical Digestion
Mechanical Digestion involves physically breaking up larger pieces of food into smaller pieces so that chemical digestion can occur more efficiently by reducing the surface area of food Mechanical digestion involves chewing food in the mouth and finishes with the churning inside the muscular stomach

Chemical Digestion
Chemical digestion involves breaking down macromolecules into individual nutrients with the aid of enzymes Chemical digestion begins in the mouth and continues through to the small intestine

The Mouth !ral Cavity"

The Mouth
The mouth is the big hole in the middle of your face Some holes are bigger than others #sually used to ingest food, but often spews garbage

Tongue

Tongue
The tongue is loaded with sensory neurons that carry impulses to the brain Theses neurons are activated by the presence of food and give us the sensation of taste and te$ture The tongue is the most mobile muscle, allowing it to easily change shape and move about, mi$ing food with saliva, forming a bolus chewed up food" that goes down your throat

%alates

The %alates
The roof of the mouth separates the nasal cavities from the oral cavity The roof of the mouth is made of two parts: the hard palate made of bones" and the soft palate made of muscle" The uvula at the back of the soft palate is used in speech in some languages and is also what initiates the gag refle$

Tonsils

Tonsils
Tonsils also called adenoids" are part of the lymphoid system which help the body fight infections likely in the respiratory tract and throat" Some people that repeatedly get infections in their tonsils can have them removed

Salivary &lands
Salivary glands e$crete 'uices saliva" through ducts into the mouth Saliva contains the enzyme salivary amylase (ou have three pairs of salivary glands: )* %arotid +* Submandibular ,* Sublingual

Salivary &lands
http:--www*youtube*com-watch.v/u(01)oTo234

Teeth

Teeth
Teeth are used for mechanical digestion Children have +5 deciduous teeth, adults ,+ teeth Most people have a third pair of molars emerge, called wisdom teeth Teeth have two main parts: the crown and the root The crown is covered in a layer of enamel, the bone6like dentin, and the inner pulp containing nerves and blood vessels Dentin and pulp are also found in the root which lacks enamel

Teeth

Swallowing
Swallowing is a refle$ action performed automatically" that occurs in the pharyn$, the region connecting the nose and mouth During swallowing, the soft palate moves back to close off the nasopharyn$ , so food doesn7t go up your nose http:--www*youtube*com-watch.v/829Mkz9:D8 M

Swallowing
The trachea windpipe" moves up, forcing the epiglottis to cover the glottis opening to voice bo$" ;reathing and swallowing cannot occur at the same time http:--www*youtube*com-watch.v/u$<##g=e2zk http:--www*youtube*com-watch.v/u$<##g=e2zk http:--www*youtube*com-watch.v/C0(>5wlu2?5 http:--www*youtube*com-watch.v/p'S;@l,9ksk

Aocal Chords
Though not used in digestion, food passes them on the way to the stomach http:--www*youtube*com-watch.v/z@'3B4l$C5g

:sophagus !esophagus"
4 muscular tube from pharyn$ to cardiac sphincter in the stomach 4 sphincter is a muscular ring that acts as a valve* The valve is shut when the muscle contracts, and opens when the muscle rela$es !nly role is to deliver food bolus to the stomach %eristalsis is a wave of muscular contractions that pushes food along the digestive tract

=ayers of the :sophagus

:sophageal wall has similar layers to other parts of the digestive system =umen Mucosa submucosa muscularis
circular muscle longitudial muscle

serosa

=ayers of the Digestive Tract

Lumen D cavity where food passes Mucosa D :pithelial layer lining the lumen containing glandular cells that secrete digestive enzymes Submucosa D <ighly vascularized connective tissue lying beneath mucosa, helps protect us from disease Muscularis D Two layers of smooth muscle Serosa D SEuamous cells that secrete serous fluid which keeps the intestines moist and slippery

The Stomach
4 '6shaped organ with thick, muscular walls Continuous with the esophagus above but separated by the cardiac esophageal" sphincter Continuous with the duodenum upper portion of the small intestine" below, separated by the pyloric sphincter

The Stomach
The stomach stores food and aids in both mechanical and chemical digestion Mechanical digestion occurs through the churning of food with gastric 'uices, which include <Cl to keep the acid F p< + Chemical digestion occurs through the action of the enzyme pepsin which digests proteins* %epsin functions best at p< +

The Stomach
The stomach has deep folds, called rugae that increase surface area* 1hen the stomach is full, the rugae disappear >t is lined with goblet cells that secrete mucus, protecting the epithelial cells from the acid 4bsorption of nutrients does not occur in the stomach though alcohol is absorbed here" 4fter + D ? hours, the food is now a soupy liEuid called chyme, which sEuirts into the duodenum through the pyloric sphincter

The Small >ntestine

4bout ? m long in the average adult Three sections: duodenum, 'u'enum, and illium

The Small >ntestine

The duodenum is the first section of the S>, immediately pro$imal to the pyloric sphincter Ducts from the liver and the pancreas empty here ;ile from the liver emulsifies fat %ancreatic 'uices contain 2a<C!, to neutralize stomach acid and enzymes amylase, trypsin, lipase" to complete digestion

The Small >ntestine

The inner surface of the intestine are covered with tiny fingerlike pro'ections called villi sing* villus", giving the intestinal wall a fuzzy appearance

The Small >ntestine

villus lacteal capillaries goblet cell arterioles and venule lymphatic vessel

The Small >ntestine

4 villus is covered with epithelial cells, each with tiny e$tensions called microvilli, which greatly increase the surface area of the S> and therefore the absorptive area

The Small >ntestine

The interior of the villus contains blood vessels and a lacteal Sugars and amino acids enter the blood system through capillaries in the villus &lycerol and fatty acids enter the epithelial cells then enter a lacteal 4ll nutrients are carried to various cells through the bloodstream after absorption

<ormones 4ssociated with the Digestive System

Digestive 'uice secretion is determined by the nervous system and hormones <ormones are chemical messengers that are transported through the bloodstream >mportant hormones: gastrin causes gastric glands to work faster" GIP causes the gastric glands to slow down" secretin causes pancreas and gallbladder to release contents" CCK similar function to secretin"

The =arge >ntestine

Comprised of C sections: cecum, colon, rectum, and anal canal

The =arge >ntestine

The large intestine is the site of water absorption and dissolved nutrients vitamins and minerals" >t stores indigestible material until it is eliminated at the anus

Cecum
3ust distal to the small intestine and is the blind end of the large intestine The cecum has a small pro'ection called the appendi$, which may help to fight infections The appendi$ can become inflamed and can burst, causing a systemic infection leading to death

Colon
transverse colon

ascending colon

descending colon

Colon
=arger in diameter than the small intestine but it is only )*B m long 4scending colon leads from the cecum up the right side to the liver Transverse colon crosses the abdomen 'ust below the stomach level Descending colon goes down the left side and terminates at the rectum Geces passes into the rectum then passed through the anus

The %orcelain Throne

Defecating :$punging one7s bowels :liminating %ooping Taking a dump Taking a crap 4 number two Drop a bomb Dropping the kids off at the pool 8eleasing the hound

Dropping the Hids !ff at the %ool

Defecation is a automatic refle$ where feces is forced out of the rectum by peristalsis The refle$ is initiated by feces entering the rectum causing a refle$ arc from the wall of the rectum to the spinal cord and back This refle$ also causes the rectal muscles to contract and the anal sphincters there are actually + of them" to rela$, causing the inevitable kids to be dropped off

Geces
There are a plethora of synonyms for feces* >7ll leave it at that* Defecate is comprised of I water and J solids fibre, indigestible solids, and bacteria" >t is the feeding action of anaerobic bacteria that causes flatulence and the odour associated with fecal matter These bacteria also breakdown vitamins and minerals so they can be absorbed by the body Stool is brown because of the breakdown of bilirubin a component of bile" and o$idized iron

The =iver

=iver
The liver is bi6lobed and the largest gland >t consists of )55 555 lobules, each acting as a functional unit :ach lobule has: a bile duct taking bile away from the liver to the gallbladder 4 hepatic artery branch brings o$ygenated blood to the liver 4 hepatic portal vein branch that carries nutrients from the intestines to the liver

The =iver D Gunctions

4ll blood passes through hepatic portal vein into the liver >t acts as a to$in filter, removing poisons and deto$ifying them

The =iver D Gunctions

Deto$ifies blood Stores iron and fat soluble vitamins 4, D, :, H" Makes plasma proteins Stores glucose in the form of glycogen %roduces urea after amino acid metabolism 8emoves bilirubin a breakdown product of hemoglobin" and e$cretes bile, a fat emulsifier <elps regulate blood cholesterol, converting some to bile salts

%ancreas

The %ancreas
4n elongated, flattened organ at the back of the abdominal cavity Secretes insulin and glucagon, blood6sugar regulating hormones Secretes pancreatic 'uice containing 2a<C! , and digestive enzymes %ancreatic amylase digests starch Trypsin digests proteins =ipase digests lipids

The &allbladder
4 pear shaped muscular sac attached to the surface of the liver that functions to store e$cess bile produced in the liver

The &allbladder
;ile appears as a thick, yellowish6green mucus6like material The colour is caused by the pigment bilirubin ;ile contains bile salts, a cholesterol derivative that does the emulsifying Crystallization of bile salts is what causes gall stones

Digestive :nzymes
Digestive enzymes are hydrolytic D hydro meaning water and lytic meaning breakdown They break down specific substrates through the addition of water KKK 1ater is integral to these enzymes functioning =ike all enzymes, digestive enzymes have an optimum p<, a specific substrate, and optimum temperature

Digestive :nzymes of Carbohydrates

Salivary Amylase D enzyme in the salivary glandsL breaks down starch into maltose, a disaccharide of glucose Pancreatic Amylase D enzyme produced in the pancreas and released into the duodenumL breaks down starch into maltose Maltase D enzyme in the small intestineL breaks down maltose into glucose Lactase D enzyme in the small intestineL breaks down lactose into glucose and galactose

Digestive :nzymes of %roteins

Collectively called proteases because they break down proteins Pepsin D produced in the stomach and formed from the precursor pepsinogen when e$posed to <ClL breaks down protein into peptides Trypsin D produced in the pancreasL breaks down protein into peptides Peptidase D produced in the small intestineL breaks down peptides into amino acids

Digestive :nzymes of =ipids

Bile D produced by the liver, stored in the pancreas, released into the duodenumL emulsifies fats into fat droplets Lipase D produced by the pancreas, released into the duodenumL breaks fat droplets into glycerol and fatty acids

Digestive :nzymes of 2ucleic 4cids

uclease D produced by the pancreas and acts in the small intestineL breaks down 824 M D24 into nucleotides ucleosidases D produced by the S>L breaks down nucleotides into a sugar, phosphate, and a base