Digestive System

Dr. Biniam
• Without food, water and oxygen, human beings could
not survive.
• The digestive system is a set of organs which change
what we eat into substances that can be used in the
body.
• These substances can be used for energy, growth
and repair.
THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM

• The alimentary canal is a tube that runs from the

mouth to the anus
• It is composed of the mouth, oesophagus, stomach,
small intestine and the large intestine
• As food passes through the alimentary canal it is
changed and the nourishment is taken into the blood
• Waste passes out the end of the canal
• Certain organs and glands add juices to the canal at
various points
 Mouth
1. Chemical digestion (amylase
Oesophagus converts starch to maltose)
2. Physical digestion (teeth break
Connects mouth food down into smaller
to stomach pieces)
Liver Stomach
Produces 1. Holds the food for a while

bile for the 2. Physical digestion (food is

churned and mixed)
digestion of 3. Chemical digestion (assisted
fats by HCl)
Gall Small intestine
Stores bile
bladder 1. Chemical digestion
2. Absorption of
nutrients into blood
Pancreas Large intestine
Produces digestive (colon)
juices
1. Elimination of waste
Appendix
2. Absorption of water

Anus Rectum
Stores faeces
Gastro intestine

•Upper GI ….. esophagus, stomach,

and duodenum..

•Lower GI …… jejunum , ileum , large

intestine , rectum , anus .
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 Food can be broken down (digested) in one of two
ways:
1. Physical Digestion
This is where large pieces of food are broken
down into smaller pieces of the same food

2. Chemical Digestion
This is where food is broken down into a
different substance that can easily pass into the
blood
Digestion
• Types
• Mechanical (physical)
• Chew
• Tear
• Grind
• Mash
• Mix
• Chemical
• Enzymatic reactions to improve digestion of
• Carbohydrates
• Proteins
• Lipids
Digestion
•Phases Include
1. Ingestion
2. Movement
3. Mechanical and Chemical Digestion
4. Absorption
5. Elimination
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

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 Mouth

• Teeth
mechanically
break down food
into small pieces.
Tongue mixes
food with saliva
(contains
amylase, which
helps break down
starch).
Mouth
• Epiglottis is a
flap-like structure
at the back of the
throat that closes
over the trachea
preventing food
from entering it.
It is located in the
Pharynx.
Mouth

• The food is broken down by the teeth and mixed

with saliva.
• Saliva is excreted by three pairs of glands:
• The parotid gland (below the ear)
• The submandibular (under the tongue)
• The sublingual (under the tongue)
• Saliva contains water, mucus and the enzyme salivary
amylase.
Functions of Saliva

• It lubricates food with mucus, making it easier to

swallow.
• It contains the enzyme salivary amylase, which acts
on cooked starch turning some of it into maltose.
• It keeps the mouth and teeth clean.
• The ball of food that leaves the mouth is known as a
bolus.
Functions of the Tongue
• Taste: it is covered with thousands of taste buds.
These are sensitive to salt, sweet, sour and bitter
chemicals in food and drink.
They help us enjoy food and drink and warn us when
food, drink are off or inedible.
• Chewing: the tongue aids chewing by moving the food
around the mouth, pushing it between the teeth and
covering it with saliva, which contains enzymes that
start the digestive process.
The food is turned into a partially digested mass
known as a bolus.
• Swallowing: when the food is ready to travel to the
stomach, the tongue pushes it to the back of the
mouth.
Tongue Taste Centres
Epiglottis

Bitter
Papillae
Taste Buds
Sour

Salt

Sweet
 Esophagus
• Approximately 20 cm long.
• Functions include:
1.Secrete mucus
2.Moves food from the throat to
the stomach using muscle
movement called peristalsis
• If acid from the stomach gets in
here that’s heartburn.
Mouth, Pharynx and Esophagus Video
Oesophagus
• The food passes into the pharynx (a muscular tube
behind the mouth) and down the oesophagus.
• The epiglottis a small flap of cartilage blocks the
entrance to the larynx, this stops the food going
down the wrong way and prevents choking.
Structure of the Oesophagus
& Functions
• It is a muscular tube.
• It leads from the pharynx to the stomach.
Function
• To carry chewed food from the pharynx to the
stomach.
• Food moves along it by a muscular contraction known
as peristalsis.
• The muscle fibres contract and relax which acts like
a wave on the tube, pushing the bolus forward.
• It’s lining secretes mucus to lubricate the passage
of food.
 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 (HCl) in the stomach Kills Bacteria.
• Food found in the stomach is called Chyme.

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The Stomach

Oesophagus
Cardiac Sphincter

Pyloric Sphincter

Duodenum

Body of Stomach
Stomach Structure
• It is a J-shaped, elastic organ.
• Food enters it from the oesophagus through the
cardiac sphincter.
• The cardiac sphincter, is a valve that stops back
flow of the stomach`s contents.
• Food leaves the stomach through the pyloric
sphincter into the duodenum (first part of the small
intestine).
• The walls of the stomach is made up of layers of muscle.
• It has an inner mucous membrane.
• This membrane has lots of folds.
• When the stomach is full these folds stretch out,
enabling it to expand, then they contract when the
stomach empties.
Functions of The Stomach
• It digests protein through the action of enzymes.
• It churns food with the gastric juices.
• It helps lubricate the food by producing mucus.
• It absorbs alcohol.
• It kills bacteria by producing hydrochloric acid.
Gastric Juices
• Hydrochloric acid neutralises bacteria and activates
pepsin.
• Rennin is an enzyme that curdles milk protein in infants.
• Pepsin is an enzyme that breaks down proteins into
peptones.
 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.

Crash Course Review

25
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

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Structure of the Small Intestine
• It is seven metres long.
• It is divided into three parts:
The duodenum
The jejunum
The ileum
• The walls has four layers:
A muscular layer
A layer containing blood vessels, lymph vessels, and
nerves.
A submucous layer,
A mucous layer.
• The inner wall is covered in villi, tiny hair like projections
which increase the surface area for absorption.
• Each villi contain blood vessels and lymph vessels.
Functions of The Small Intestine
Digestion
• Pancreatic juice is secreted into the duodenum and
contains the following enzymes:
Trypsin: converts proteins into shorter chains.
Lipase: converts fats into fatty acids and glycerol.
Amylase: converts starch into disaccharides.
• Bile: emulsifies fats (breaks them into smaller droplets).
• Intestinal Juices have the following enzymes:
Maltase, sucrase, lactase: change disaccharides into
monosaccharides.
Peptidase: changes polypeptides into amino acids.
Absorption
• Digested food is absorbed through the villi walls.
Fats, fatty acids and glycerol are passed into the
lymph system.
Amino acids and sugars pass along the portal vein to
the liver.
 Ascending Transverse
Descending
Colon Colon
Colon

Caecum

Anus Rectum
Apendix
 Large Intestine
• About 1.5 meters 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

– Absorbs more water

– Concentrate wastes
What is the Large Intestine
• It deals with waste.
• It is about 1.5m long.
• It consists of the following:
The caecum: a small pouch; the ileum empties its
contents into the caecum through the ileo-caecal valve.
The colon: ascending, transverse, descending colon.
The appendix: narrow tube attached to the caecum.
The rectum.
The anus
Functions
• Whatever remains of the food, is passed into the large
intestine
• To reabsorb water and vitamins left in digestive waste.
• It secretes mucus to help the movement of faeces.
• Short term storage of faeces in the rectum.
• Many bacteria live in the large intestine, they are
harmless in the colon and may be useful e.g. produce
Vitamin K.
• Defecation: peristalsis pushes waste along the colon and
then it is passed out of the body.
Accessory Organs The Glands

• Not part of the path of food, but

play a critical role.

This Include:
•Liver,
•gall bladder
•pancreas
 Liver
• Directly affects digestion by producing
bile
• Bile helps digest fat
• filters out toxins and waste including drugs and alcohol and
poisons.

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Gall Bladder

• Stores bile from the liver,

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

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

Web Page Reinforcement Video

Summary

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 Mouth
1. Chemical digestion (amylase
Oesophagus converts starch to maltose)
2. Physical digestion (teeth break
Connects mouth food down into smaller
to stomach pieces)
Liver Stomach
Produces 1. Holds the food for a while

bile for the 2. Physical digestion (food is

churned and mixed)
digestion of 3. Chemical digestion (assisted
fats by HCl)
Gall Small intestine
Stores bile
bladder 1. Chemical digestion
2. Absorption of
nutrients into blood
Pancreas Large intestine
Produces digestive (colon)
juices
1. Elimination of waste
Appendix
2. Absorption of water

Anus Rectum
Stores faeces
On a sheet of paper, write the name of each
colored organ:
1. Green:
2. Red:
3. Pink:
4. Brown:
5. Purple:
6. Dark Green:
7. Yellow:
How’d you do?

1. Green: Esophagus
2. Red: Stomach
3. Pink: Small Intestine
4. Brown: Large Intestine
5. Purple: Liver
6. Dark Green: Gall Bladder
7. Yellow: Pancreas

Great Job!
 Disorder
Digestive system

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Common digestive disorders include
• gastroesophageal reflux disease,
• cancer,
• irritable bowel syndrome,
• lactose intolerance and
• hiatal hernia.

The most common symptoms of digestive disorders

include
• bleeding, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, heartburn,
pain, nausea and vomiting.

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Gastritis = the stomach lining is inflamed
Gastritis also called:
• erosion of the stomach lining,
• stomach inflammation, and
• stomach irritation

• causes include infection, injury, regular use of pain pills called NSAIDs
and too much alcohol.
• Symptoms include upper stomach pain, nausea and vomiting.
Sometimes, there are no symptoms.

• Lab tests or imaging often required

• Short-term: resolves within days to weeks
• Treatment depends on the cause. Antibiotics and antacids might
help.
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upper GI problems include
• GERD.
• Gallstones.
• Esophageal ulcer
• Gastritis , Stomach ulcers
• Duodenal ulcer

Lower GI problems include

• Chronic Constipation.
• Chronic diarrhea
• Inflammatory Bowel Disease.
• Hemorrhoids.

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