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Digestive System

Detailed notes for class 9

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31 views

Digestive System

Detailed notes for class 9

Uploaded by

qy7gw2f7cy
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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The Digestive System

Class 9 ICSE
BRIEF:
The digestive system in humans is responsible for breaking down
food and absorbing nutrients. It consists of the alimentary canal
and accessory organs. The process begins in the mouth where
food is chewed and mixed with saliva. The chewed food moves
down the oesophagus to the stomach, where it is mixed with
digestive juices. In the small intestine, enzymes further break
down food, and nutrients are absorbed into the blood. The
remaining waste passes to the large intestine, where water is
absorbed, and the remaining material is excreted through the
rectum. Key organs include the mouth, oesophagus, stomach,
small intestine, large intestine, liver, pancreas, and gallbladder.

Main Parts of the Digestive System:

1. Mouth (Oral Cavity):


1. Function: The mouth is the entry point for food. Mechanical digestion begins
here as food is chewed by the teeth, breaking it into smaller pieces.
2. Salivary Glands: The salivary glands secrete saliva, which contains the
enzyme amylase that begins the breakdown of starch into simpler sugars.
3. Teeth: The teeth help in mechanical digestion by cutting, tearing, and grinding
food.
4. Tongue: It helps in mixing food with saliva, forming a bolus (a soft mass of
chewed food), and pushing it toward the throat for swallowing.

2. Oesophagus:
1. Function: The oesophagus is a muscular tube that connects the mouth to the
stomach.
2. Peristalsis: The food is pushed down the oesophagus through a series of
muscular contractions known as peristalsis.
3. Stomach:
1. Function: The stomach is a large, muscular organ where both mechanical and
chemical digestion occur.
2. Mechanical Digestion: The stomach churns food to mix it with digestive
juices.
3. Chemical Digestion: The stomach secretes gastric
juices containing hydrochloric acid (HCL) and the enzyme pepsin. Pepsin
begins the breakdown of proteins into smaller peptides.
4. Chyme: The food is converted into a semi-liquid form called chyme.

4. Small Intestine:
1. Function: The small intestine is the primary site of digestion and nutrient
absorption. It is divided into three parts: duodenum, jejunum, and ileum.
2. Duodenum: The first part of the small intestine, where bile (from the liver)
and pancreatic enzymes mix with the chyme to continue digestion.
 Pancreatic Enzymes: These include amylase (for carbohydrate
digestion), lipase (for fat digestion), and proteases (for protein
digestion).
 Bile: Produced by the liver and stored in the gallbladder, bile
emulsifies fats, making them easier to digest.
3. Jejunum and Ileum: These parts are mainly responsible for the absorption of
nutrients into the bloodstream. The walls of the small intestine are lined with
tiny finger-like projections called villi, which increase the surface area for
absorption.
5. Large Intestine:
1. Function: The large intestine absorbs water and salts from the remaining
indigestible food matter. It is also responsible for the formation and storage of
feces.
2. Colon: The main part of the large intestine, where water and salts are
absorbed.
3. Rectum: The final portion of the large intestine, where waste is stored before
being expelled through the anus.

6. Rectum and Anus

 Function: The rectum stores feces until it is excreted. The anus is the opening
through which waste is expelled from the body.
 Process: When the rectum is full, stretch receptors send signals to the brain,
triggering the urge to defecate. The muscles of the anus (called the sphincters)
control the release of feces.

Accessory Organs

These organs assist in digestion but are not part of the alimentary canal.

1. Liver:
o The liver produces bile, which helps break down fats. It also plays a role in
processing absorbed nutrients and detoxifying harmful substances.

detoxifies chemicals
and stores
glycogen.

2. Gallbladder:
o The gallbladder stores bile produced by the liver and releases it into the small
intestine when needed.

3. Pancreas:
o The pancreas produces digestive enzymes (like lipase, amylase,
and proteases) and secretes them into the duodenum to digest fats. It
also secretes insulin and glucagon, which regulate blood sugar.

Summary of the Digestive Process


 Ingestion: Food is taken into the mouth.
 Mechanical Digestion: Food is broken down physically by chewing and stomach
churning.
 Chemical Digestion: Enzymes break down food into smaller molecules (e.g.,
carbohydrates into glucose, proteins into amino acids).
 Absorption: Nutrients are absorbed in the small intestine through the walls of the villi
into the bloodstream.
 Excretion: Waste is formed into feces and expelled through the anus.

This entire process allows our body to obtain the nutrients it needs to function and eliminate
waste products.

Important Terms to Remember:

 Peristalsis: Rhythmic, wave-like contractions that move food through the digestive
tract.
 Chyme: The partially digested food mixed with digestive juices in the stomach.
 Villi: Tiny finger-like projections in the small intestine that increase surface area for
absorption.
 Bile: A substance produced by the liver that helps in the digestion of fats.
 Enzymes: Proteins that speed up the breakdown of food into smaller molecules.
 Amylase: Enzyme in saliva that breaks down carbohydrates.
 Pepsin: Enzyme in the stomach that breaks down proteins.

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