Grade 8 Quarter Scien

4 ce 8

DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
Its Parts and
Functions
LEARNING COMPETENCY:

The learner will explain ingestion, absorption, assimilation,

and excretion.
 LIVING THINGS AND THEIR ENVIRONMENT The Digestive
System

Digestion
Digestion refers to the breakdown of food into smaller
components that can be absorbed into the bloodstream. This
digestion or catabolism is divided into two types, the mechanical
digestion that occurs in the mouth when food is physically broken
up into smaller pieces and the chemical digestion that takes place
in the gastrointestinal tract when the digestive enzymes break
down the food into small molecules (Mandal, 2019).

Role of Digestion
Provide energy and necessary nutrients for bodily processes
such as:

• Movement
• Growth
• Repair
• Reproduction
Parts of Digestive System
1. The Mouth

Each species of organisms has its own way of digesting food. Digestion in human starts in
the mouth where food is chewed and broken down to smaller pieces for easier digestion. This is so
called mechanical digestion. Initial chemical digestion starts also in the mouth. This is carried out by
molecules that speed up chemical reactions called enzymes. Amylase, an enzyme present in saliva
helps break down carbohydrates, which are large complex molecules, into simple ones that can be
used by the body.

2. The Pharynx

The pharynx muscular walls function in the process of swallowing, and it serves as a
pathway for the movement of food from the mouth to the esophagus. The constrictive circular
muscles of the pharynx’s outer layer play a big role in peristalsis. A series of contractions will help
propel ingested food and drink down the intestinal tract safely. The inner layer’s longitudinal
muscles, on the other hand, will widen the pharynx laterally and lift it upward, thus allowing the
swallowing of ingested food and drink.
3. The Esophagus
Approximately, the esophagus is 20 cm long. Its functions include secreting mucus
and moving food from the throat to the stomach using muscle movement called
peristalsis.

4. The Stomach
The stomach is a J-shaped muscular bag that stores the food and breaks it down
into tiny pieces. It mixes food with gastric juices that contain enzymes to break down
proteins and lipids. Hydrochloric acid in the stomach kills bacteria. Food found in the
stomach is called chyme.

5. The Small Intestine

The small intestine is a little over 5 meters long and lies in the abdominal cavity
surrounded by the large intestine. In the small intestine, the chemical digestion of food is
completed and most of the absorption of nutrients takes place. Lining of intestine walls
has finger- like projections called villi, to increase surface area.
 LIVING THINGS AND THEIR ENVIRONMENT

LESSON 1 : Life Processes: Ingestion,

Digestion, Absorption, Assimilation, and
Excretion
The Digestive
System
Life processes are the basic important activities performed by organism for
maintenance and survival
Nutrition

Sensitivity Metabolism

Life
Movement Growth
Processes

Respiration Reproduction

Excretion
 What are the basic concepts we need to know and
understand about ingestion, digestion, absorption,
assimilation and excretion?

Ingestion: Under normal condition, we use our hands to put

something like food, drink, medicine and other substances in our
mouth. There are cases where droplets and viruses may enter our
body through our mouth that’s why wearing a face mask and face
shield during COVID 19 pandemic are required. Why? First , as our
personal protection , second to prevent the spread of viruses and
other microorganisms to other people.

Digestion: is the mechanical and chemical break down of food into small organic
fragments. Mechanical digestion refers to the physical breakdown of large pieces of food
into smaller pieces which can subsequently be accessed by digestive enzymes. In
chemical digestion, enzymes break down food into the small molecules the body can
use.
Absorption: The simple product of digestion is small enough to be absorbed by the
epithelial cells of the intestinal villi.. Each day, the alimentary canal processes up to 10
liters of food, liquids, and GI secretions, yet less than one liter enters the large intestine.
Almost all ingested food, 80 percent of electrolytes, and 90 percent of water are absorbed in
the small intestine. Although the entire small intestine is involved in the absorption of water
and lipids, most absorption of carbohydrates and proteins occurs in the jejunum. The small
intestine is highly efficient at this, absorbing monosaccharides at an estimated rate of 120
grams per hour. Notably, bile salts and vitamin B12 are absorbed in the terminal ileum.

Assimilation is the movement of digested food molecules into the cells of the body where
they are used. The liver is important in assimilation For example: glucose is used in
respiration to provide energy and amino acids are used to build new proteins.

Egestion
By the time chyme passes from the ileum into the large intestine, it is
essentially indigestible food residue (mainly plant fibers like cellulose), some
water, and millions of bacteria . The colon is the first part of the large
intestine. It absorbs most of the remaining water. This leaves semi-solid
waste material called feces. The feces are stored in the rectum, the last part
of the large intestine. Egestion happens when these feces pass out of the
body through the anus.
What is the role of Digestive Enzymes in the Digestive
Process?
Enzymes are organic catalysts, meaning they initiate or speed up
chemical reactions. They work well in temperature ranging from 300C -
400C. Raw diets such as vegetable salads, fruits, nuts, vegetables and
fruit juices are rich with enzymes that hasten the chemical breakdown of
food. Digestive enzymes are classified based on the substrate they work
on. Table 1 gives us
the summary of the specific enzymes which will act on specific food
molecule and break down to simple , soluble end product.
Food molecule Enzymes End Product
Carbohydrate carbohydrase simple sugar
Proteins protease or peptidase amino acid
Lipids or fats lipase fatty acid and glycerol
Nucleic acid nuclease nucleotide
Activity 1- LIFE PROCESSES

Direction: Match the life processes in column A with the

specific organ in column B

Column A Column B
1. absorption A. mouth
2. assimilation B. liver
3. digestion C. small intestine
4. egestion D. stomach
5. ingestion E. anus
The Esophagus and Stomach
Digestion starts as soon as you put food in your mouth. Chewing breaks food into
smaller pieces and enzymes in your saliva help to chemically break down food. Smooth
muscle in the digestive tract moves food through the digestive system. In this way, the
digestive system interacts with the muscular system. Food moves from your mouth to your
stomach through a muscular tube called the esophagus. Your stomach is the body’s main
organ of digestion. Food is broken down by the stomach’s digestive juices.

The Small and Large Intestines

Partially digested food moves from the stomach to the small intestine, where
absorption occurs. Digested nutrients and water pass through the walls of the small
intestine and into the bloodstream. Waste materials continue through the small intestine and
move into the large intestine. In the large intestine, waste materials are prepared for
elimination, which is the passage of undigested material out of the body through a:n
opening called the anus.
 The Liver, Gallbladder, and Pancreas
Even though food does not move through them, the liver, gallbladder, and pancreas
are important parts of the digestive system. These three organs aid digestion in the small
intestine. The liver is the largest internal organ of the body and has many functions. Its job in
digestion is to make bile, which breaks down fat. Excess bile made by the liver is stored in a
small organ called the gallbladder. The gallbladder releases bile into the small intestine as
needed. The pancreas is a leaf-shaped organ that produces digestive enzymes. Enzymes
from the pancreas are proteins that speed up biological reactions. The enzymes the pancreas
makes help break down proteins, carbohydrates, and fats in the small intestine.

The Small and Large Intestines

Partially digested food moves from the stomach to the small intestine, where absorption
occurs. Digested nutrients and water pass through the walls of the small intestine and into the
bloodstream. Waste materials continue through the small intestine and move into the large
intestine. In the large intestine, waste materials are prepared for elimination, which is the
passage of undigested material out of the body through a:n opening called the anus.
The Excretory
System

Processes within your cells result in waste products. These

waste products must be removed from your body to keep your
body systems in balance. The excretory system is the system that
removes liquid, solid, and gas wastes from the body.
The Excretory System
Processes within your cells result in waste products. These waste products must be
removed from your body to keep your body systems in balance. The excretory system is the
system that removes liquid, solid, and gas wastes from the body.

Liquid Waste
Your skin is one of the organs of the excretory system, and sweating is one process
of excretion. Your skin sweats in conditions such as warm weather and during exercise. The
sweat helps your body with temperature regulation. As sweat evaporates from your skin, this
helps your body cool down. When your skin sweats, this also allows your body to get rid of
excess water and salts. The lungs, which are part of the respiratory system, are also
important structures in the excretory system. Carbon dioxide is a gas produced as a waste
product from cell processes. Most of it is removed from your body through the lungs when
you exhale.

Urine is produced by the kidneys, which are organs that are separate from the
digestive tract. Kidneys are the main organs of the excretory system. People usually have
two kidneys. The kidneys use millions of tiny filters to separate waste products in the blood
from the water, glucose, and minerals the body needs.
 Liquid waste produced by the kidneys is carried in urine, which passes through a tube
called the ureter and is stored in the bladder. When the bladder is full, it contracts and pushes
urine out of the body through the urethra. In most instances, the emptying of the bladder is
under the control of voluntary muscles.

Blood enters each kidney through a large artery. Inside the kidney, the artery divides
into many networks of capillaries that surround the filtering units of the kidney, which are
called nephrons. Each kidney has about one million nephrons. Each nephron looks like a long
coiled tube with a cup at one end. The cups of the nephrons are found in the outer rim of the
kidney. Fluid from the blood is pushed through the walls of the capillaries and into the
nephron. Some of the material that is moved into the nephron is waste material, and some is
material the body needs. The material the body needs is returned to the blood through a
process called re-absorption. The material that is waste, along with water, leaves the body as
urine.

Solid Waste
Solid waste from the digestive system is prepared in the large intestine for elimination.
Water is removed from the waste material, which eventually leaves the body through the anus
as feces.
The Respiratory
System
Did you know that your digestive system is closely connected to your respiratory
system? Oxygen, which enters your body through the respiratory system, is required for the
process your cells use to release energy from food molecules. Specifically, oxygen is the gas
that cells use for cellular respiration. Through cellular respiration, organic molecules from the
food you eat are broken down, and energy and carbon-dioxide gas are released. The released
energy is used by body cells for all the cells’ activities.
Gas Exchange Within the
LungsYour skin is one of the organs of the excretory system, and sweating is one process of
excretion. Your skin sweats in conditions such as warm weather and during exercise. The sweat helps
your body with temperature regulation. As sweat evaporates from your skin, this helps your body cool
down. When your skin sweats, this also allows your body to get rid of excess water and salts. The
lungs, which are part of the respiratory system, are also important structures in the excretory system.
Carbon dioxide is a gas produced as a waste product from cell processes. Most of it is removed from
your body through the lungs when you exhale.
The Circulatory
System
Processes within your cells result in waste products. These waste products
must be removed from your body to keep your body systems in balance. The
excretory system is the system that removes liquid, solid, and gas wastes from the
body.

Liquid
WasteYour skin is one of the organs of the excretory system, and sweating is one
process of excretion. Your skin sweats in conditions such as warm weather and during
exercise. The sweat helps your body with temperature regulation. As sweat evaporates
from your skin, this helps your body cool down. When your skin sweats, this also
allows your body to get rid of excess water and salts. The lungs, which are part of the
respiratory system, are also important structures in the excretory system. Carbon
dioxide is a gas produced as a waste product from cell processes. Most of it is removed
from your body through the lungs when you exhale.
Urine is produced by the kidneys, which are organs that are separate from the
digestive tract. Kidneys are the main organs of the excretory system. People usually
have two kidneys. The kidneys use millions of tiny filters to separate waste products in
the blood from the water, glucose, and minerals the body needs.
THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM AND OTHER ORGAN
SYSTEMS
You learned earlier that the digestive system is very important for
di- gestion, absorption and assimilation of food. The liver and other ac-
cessory organs aid in the digestion of food. Study the table below and
answer the following questions.

Digestive system: How it affects the other organ

systems
Skeletal Respiratory Circulatory
System Muscular System System System Urinary System Nervous System

The digestive The digestive The The The digestive The digestive
system system digestive digestive system system
provides provides system system provides provides
nutrients for nutrients for provides the provides nutrients so energy for the
bone growth muscles to do diaphragm the heart the kidneys brain to do all
and repair work- whether nutrients in with can clean your the thinking
it is skeletal, order nutrients so blood of and control ling
smooth facilitate the heart wastes of all the other
or cardiac breathing can keep produced by systems
muscle beating all the other
systems
 QUESTIONS
:
1. What organ systems are “served” by the digestive system?
2. Predict what will happen to these organs if the digestive
system was to stop its function?
3. What other organ systems not mentioned in the above
information is serviced by the digestive system?
4. Why is it important to keep the digestive system healthy?

Here are link to websites that show how a disease of one

accessory organ of the digestive system affects the other organs
of the body: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-Yz_-HccuQ
This discusses how liver disease effect on other organ systems.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Og5xAdC8EUI
How your digestive system works
 The organ systems, in one way or another, work together for
the proper functioning of the entire body. The circulatory system
transports digested materials to the different parts of the body. The
oxygen the blood gets from the respiratory system supplies the
digestive system with the necessary oxygen for its tissues to be
able to produce energy. The muscular system enables the digestive
system to contract and bring food down from the mouth to the
stomach and the intestines. The skeletal system helps to form a
shield to protect the soft delicate tissues of the digestive system
and other tissues of the body. The lymphatic system absorbs lipids
from the intestine and brings them blood. The excretory system
removes wastes from the cells of all the organ systems.

Taking care of the other organ system also means caring for
the digestive system.
 Activity 1 – Nutrient
Deficiency
WHAT IS NUTRIENT
DEFICIENCY?
Nutrients in foods provide the necessary energy for the
proper functioning of the different parts of the body. Proper
nutrition is very important. Cases of nutrient deficiency results
when not enough nutrient is available for the body’s use.
Open the webpage:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nE7xg1Nop10
This site will explain nutrient deficiency and some manifestations
related to it.
QUESTIONS
: 1. What is nutrient deficiency?
2. What are the manifestations of nutrient
deficiency?
 Activity 2 – Symptoms and Manifestation of Nutrient Deficiency

HOW IMPORTANT ARE THE NUTRIENTS?

Symptoms and manifestations of nutrient deficiency differ from nutrient to nutrient.
Nutrients have their specific function; thus any deficiency will result to certain unwanted
manifestations.
Click on this website and find out some symptoms and preventions of certain nutrient
deficiency: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bldmNBLSfsU
Complete the table below to summarize the article : Give at least 4 nutrient deficiency
Deficient Disease Symptoms Prevention
Nutrient

QUESTIONS:
1. What is nutrient deficiency?
2. What are the manifestations of nutrient deficiency?
3. How can nutrient deficiency be prevented?
Performance Task– BMI

BODY MASS INDEX

Another way of determining if one is healthy or not, is through the Body Mass Index of an
individual. Body Mass Index or your BMI is a number calculated from a person’s weight and height. This
provides an accurate indicator of body fatness for most people and is used to screen for weight factors
that may lead to health problems.
Click on the following link:
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/lose_wt/risk.htm#limitations
This link provides a calculator on body mass index.

Calculate your body mass index using this calculator. Write your calculation in your notebook.

QUESTIONS:

1. What is your BMI?

2. How do you interpret your BMI?
3. Are you at risk for any diseases based on your BMI?
4. How can you prevent the risks related to obesity?
5. What lifestyle changes will you make to have a healthy digestive system?
6. How does one achieve a healthy lifestyle and diet
The
End