TOPIC

DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
 LESSON OBJECTIVES
• Define digestion and hence explain the need for
digestion of food.

• Identify the organs of the digestive system and

distinguish digestive system from alimentary canal.

• Explain the two aspects of digestion and hence name

the processes involved in digestion and explain them.
 STARTER

WHY DO WE EAT FOOD?

MEANING OF DIGESTION AND NEED FOR
DIGESTION

MEANING OF DIGESTION
DIGESTION IS THE BREAKDOWN OF COMPLEX FOOD INTO
SMALLER PARTICLES THAT CAN BE ABSORBED INTO THE BODY
AND ASSIMILATED.
OR
IS THE MECHANICAL AND CHEMICAL PROCESSES INVOLVED IN
THE BREAKDOWN OF FOOD INTO SIMPLER UNITS THAT CAN
BE ABSORBED AND ASSIMILATED INTO THE BODY
MECHANICAL DIGESTION- IT IS THE BREAKDOWN OF FOOD INTO
SMALLER PIECES WITHOUT CHEMICAL CHANGE TO THE FOOD
MOLECULES.

CHEMICAL DIGESTION- BREAKDOWN OF LARGE INSOLUBLE FOOD

MOLECULES INTO SMALL SOLUBLE MOLECULES. AIDED BY DIGESTIVE
ENZYMES
 TASK-

WHY MUST FOOD BE DIGESTED?

WHY MUST FOOD BE DIGESTED?

DIGESTION HELPS TO PRESENT FOOD NUTRIENTS IN

THE FORM IN WHICH THEY CAN BE ABSORBED AND
ASSIMILATED BY THE BODY CELLS.
ALIMENTARY CANAL AND DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
• Alimentary canal is the long tube that runs from the
mouth to the anus .

• Digestive system is different from the alimentary

canal in the sense that it encompasses the
alimentary canal and other accessory organs that aid
in digestion of food.
 TASK
WRITE DOWN THE PARTS THAT MAKE UP THE ALIMENTARY CANAL.
PARTS OF THE ALIMENTARY CANAL/DIGESTIVE
TRACT

• Mouth
• Gullet
• Stomach
• Small intestine
• Large intestine
• Anus
 PROCESSES INVOLVED IN DIGESTION

• INGESTION- is the taking in of food and drink into the body

through the mouth

• ABSORPTION- is the movement of small food molecules and

ions into the blood via the walls of the intestine

• ASSIMILATION- is the movement of absorbed food

molecules into the body cells where used up or become
part of the cell

• EGESTION- is the removal of undigested food as faeces out

of the body through the anus
Choose the correct term from the below word bank to complete the below
processes involved in digestion of food.
WORD BANK: egestion, assimilation, ingestion, digestion and absorption.
1. ----------------------------------- is the taking in of food and drink into the body
through the mouth?
2. ----------------------------------- is the mechanical and chemical processes involved
in the breakdown of food into simpler units?
3. ----------------------------------- is the movement of small food molecules and ions
into the blood via the walls of the intestine?
4. ------------------------------------ is the movement of absorbed food molecules into
the body cells where used up or become part of the cell?
5. --------------------------------- is the removal of undigested food as faeces out of
the body through the anus.
STATER
 PARTS OF THE HUMAN DIGESTIVE SYSTEM AND THEIR FUNCTIONS
• The digestive system is made up of the alimentary canal
and the accessory organs that aids digestion.
• The alimentary canal is lined up with cells that forms the
epithelium. Some of the epithelial cells secretes mucus
(slimy fluid) which eases movement of food, lubricates
the lining and prevents wear and tear.
• The walls of the alimentary canal are made up of
muscles (circular and longitudinal) which act
antagonistically to bring about movement of food along
the tract. The movement is called peristalsis.
• There are special muscles known as sphincter muscles
in certain part/organs of the alimentary canal which
help to keep the food in a particular place for a while.
 MOUTH
• Ingestion of food
• Teeth breaks down food to smaller particles by
chewing/mastication- mechanical digestion
• Mastication increases surface area of food to be acted on
by enzymes
• Salivary gland secrete saliva (waters, mucus and enzyme)
which contains ptyalin or salivary amylase which acts on
carbohydrate(starch) food converts starch to maltose.-
chemical digestion
• Tongue rolls food into bolus and then swallowed
OESOPHAGUS/GULLET
• One of the two tubes in the neck region. It allows
passage of food from the mouth into the stomach. At
the entrance of the stomach from the oesophagus,
there is a cardiac sphincter muscle which relaxes to let
food pass into the stomach.

• Swallowing of food is a voluntary action but movement

of food from the gullet downwards is involuntary/reflex
action.

• Note; A flappy tissue known as the epiglottis closes the

trachea and guides food into the gullet.
STOMACH
Walls of the stomach secrete gastric juice which is made up of
1. Dilute HCl-which kills bacteria in food, and provides acidic medium for
activities of stomach enzymes
2. Protease enzymes –renin [coagulates milk in proteins – converts caesinogen
(soluble) –casein (insoluble)] and pepsin (converts proteins to polypeptides)
• Regular peristalsis known as churning occurs in the stomach
• Churning breaks the food particles down into creamy paste (semi liquid)
known as chyme which passes into the duodenum (upper part of the small
intestine)
• Lower part of the stomach has a pyloric sphincter muscle which prevents
solid food from entering the intestine
• The duration food spends in the stomach depends on the nature of food.
 SMALL INTESTINE
• It is where digestion is completed
• The first part of the small intestine close to the stomach is
known as the duodenum. The last part close to the large
intestine is known as the ileum.
At the Duodenum
• Pancreatic juice containing digestive enzymes (amylase, lipase
and protease-trypsin) are secreted into the duodenum from the
pancreas.
• Amylase converts starch to maltose
• Lipase converts lipids to fatty acids and glycerol
• Trypsin converts proteins to polypeptides
• Pancreatic juice also contains sodium hydrogencarbonate which
neutralizes the acidity of the chyme.
 BILE
• It is a watery fluid green – pigment from breakdown of
haemoglobin in the liver. BILIRUBIN
• Contains bile salt – sodium hydrogencarbonate,
• Stored in the gall bladder, released into the duodenum by
bile duct.

FUNCTIONS OF BILE
• Emulsification of fats and oil- breaking down lipids into
smaller droplets, increasing their surface area to be acted
on by lipase.------------mechanical digestion
• Neutralises the acidity of food entering the duodenum
• Adds water to chyme to make it chyle.
• Gives feaces its yellow colour
At the ileum, there are fingerlike structures known as villi
(villus-singular)
• The cells of the villi secrete enzymes such as sucrase,
lactase, maltase, lipase and peptidase.
• Sucrase converts sucrose to glucose and fructose
• Maltase converts maltose to glucose
• Lactase converts lactose to glucose and galactose
• Lipase converts lipids to fatty acids and glycerol
• Peptidase converts polypeptides to amino acids

These final products of digestion are then absorbed into

the blood stream through the walls of the small intestine
 THE LARGE INTESTINE
• The colon and rectum makes up the large intestine.
• Undigested food mostly fibres (roughages) with
materials such as dead cells and mucus passes through
the large intestine.
• Some bacteria in the colon can digest some fibre to form
fatty acids which can be absorbed by the colon
• Most especially, the colon absorbed water and bile salt
from the undigested food which are returned to the
circulatory system.
• The semi solid waste formed-feaces is passed into the
rectum (end has sphincter muscles) from where feaces
is removed through the anus at intervals a process
known as egestion.
ABSOPTION OF DIGESTED FOOD- THE VILLI
 ADAPTATION OF THE SMALL INTESTINE FOR FOOD ABSORPTION
Absorption is the movement of small food molecules and
ions through the walls of the intestine into the blood.
The villi are finger-like projections located in the ileum of
the small intestine
• It is very long providing a large surface area for
absorbing digested food
• It has a thin epithelium which allows materials to pass
through easily
• The epithelial of the villi is lined with numerous micro
villi which greatly increase the surface area for
absorption
• It is well supplied with blood capillaries which helps to
carry absorbed food into the circulatory system.
• Absorbed glucose and amino acids passes through
the capillaries and are carried into the blood streams.
• A little amount of fatty acids and glycerol enters the
blood stream via the capillaries of the villi, the rest (a
larger proportion) may be used to form fats again in
the intestinal epithelium. These fats are carried into
the lacteals of the villi into the lymphatic system.
• Capillaries empty its content into a large vein, the
HEPATIC PORTAL VEIN which carries digested food
from the small intestine into the liver.
• NOTE- the hepatic portal vein is the only vein that
does not carry blood to the heart.
• Absorption of digested food is by DIFFUSION AND
ACTIVE TRANSPORT
TASK
MENTION TWO PLACES IN THE ALIMENTARY
CANAL WHERE STARCH DIGESTION CAN
TAKE PLACE.

THE BLOOD VESSEL THAT CARRIES

DIGESTED FOOD TO THE LIVER IS CALLED?

THE ABSORPTION OF FOOD IS BY THE

PROCESS OF _______ AND __________
THE FATE OF DIGESTED FOOD
GLUCOSE IS OXIDISED DURING TISSUE RESPIRATION TO PROVIDE ENERGY
WHILE EXCESS IS CONVERTED TO GLYCOGEN AND FATS.

FATTY ACIDS AND GLYCEROL ARE BUILT INTO CELL MEMBRANES, USED TO
PROVIDE ENERGY AND ALSO HELPS TO INSULATE THE BODY. EXCESS IS
STORED IN THE ADIPOSE TISSUE AND CAN ALSO BE CONVERTED TO
GLUCOSE.

AMINO ACIDS ARE USED TO FORM BODY PROTEINS WHICH ARE USED TO
MAKE VARIOUS PRODUCTS SUCH AS ENZYMES, BLOOD PROTEINS, USED TO
MAKE CELL MEMBRANE WHILE SOME EXCESS AMINO ACID IS DESTROYED
BY THE LIVER VIA DEAMINATION AND EXCRETED BY THE KIDNEY AS URINE
OTHERS ARE CONVERTED TO GLYCOGEN.