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SYSTEM
1- INGESTION
Ingestion, the act of
eating is the first stage of
food processing.
Food is packaged in bulk
form where it contains very
complex arrays of
molecules including large
polymers and various
substances that may be
difficult to process or even
toxic
2- DIGESTION
Digestion, the second stage of food processing
Is the process of breaking food down into molecules,
small enough for body to absorb
Involves enzymatic hydrolysis of polymers into their
monomers
3- ABSORPTION
Absorption, the third stage of food processing
Is the uptake of nutrients (e.g: amino acid,
glucose) by body cells
4- ELIMINATION
Elimination, the fourth stage of food
processing
Occurs as undigested material passes out of
the digestive compartment
Mechanical
digestion
Chemical digestion
(enzymatic hydrolysis)
Nutrient
molecules
enter body
cells
Undigested
material
Food
INGESTION 2 DIGESTION
ABSORPTION
ELIMINATION
Sphincter
Oral cavity
Salivary
glands
Mouth
Pharynx
Esophagus
Esophagus
Sphincter
Stomach
Liver
Ascending
portion of
large intestine
Salivary
glands
Gallbladder
Pancreas
Gallbladder
Liver
Pancreas
Small
intestine
Small intestine
Large intestine
Duodenum of
small intestine
Stomach
Small
intestines
Large
intestines
Rectum
Anus
Rectum
Appendix
Cecum
Anus
A schematic diagram of
the human digestive system
The esophagus
Conducts food from the pharynx down to the
stomach by peristalsis
Bolus of food
Tongue
Pharynx
Epiglottis
up
Glottis
Larynx
Trachea
Esophageal
Epiglottis
sphincter
contracted down
Esophagus
To lungs
To stomach
Glottis up
and closed
2 The swallowing
reflex is triggered
when a bolus of
food reaches the
pharynx.
4 The esophageal
sphincter relaxes,
allowing the
bolus to enter the
esophagus.
Esophageal
sphincter
relaxed 5 After the food
Epiglottis
up
Glottis
down
and open
Esophageal
sphincter
contracted
Relaxed
muscles
Contracted
muscles
Relaxed
muscles
The Stomach
The stomach stores food
and secretes gastric juice, which converts
a meal to acid chyme
Gastric juice
Is made up of hydrochloric acid and the
enzyme pepsin
5 m
Stomach
Sphincter
Small
intestine
Folds of
epithelial
tissue
Epithelium
Chief cell
2 HCl converts
pepsinogen to pepsin.
Parietal cell
Bacteria
1 m
Mucus
layer of
stomach
Bile
Gallbladder
Intestinal
juice
Duodenum of
small intestine
Stomach
Acid chyme
Pancreatic juice
Pancreas
Protein digestion
Fat digestion
Smaller polysaccharides,
maltose
Proteins
Pepsin
Stomach
Small polypeptides
Polysaccharides
Lumen of
small intestine
Pancreatic amylases
Maltose and other
disaccharides
Polypeptides
DNA, RNA
Pancreatic trypsin and
Pancreatic
chymotrypsin (These proteases
nucleases
cleave bonds adjacent to certain
amino acids.)
Nucleotides
Smaller
polypeptides
Pancreatic carboxypeptidase
Amino acids
Epithelium
of small
intestine
(brush
border)
Small peptides
Disaccharidases
Monosaccharides
Nucleotidases
Liver
Enterogastrone
Gallbladder
Gastrin
CCK
Stomach
Amino acids or fatty acids in the
duodenum trigger the release of
cholecystokinin (CCK), which
stimulates the release of digestive
enzymes from the pancreas and
bile from the gallbladder.
Pancreas
Secretin
Duodenum
CCK
Key
Stimulation
Inhibition
Absorption of Nutrients
The small intestine has a huge surface area
Due to the presence of villi and microvilli
that are exposed to the intestinal lumen
The enormous microvillar surface
Is an adaptation that greatly increases the rate
of nutrient absorption
Blood
capillaries
Muscle layers
Villi
Key
Nutrient Intestinal wall
absorption
Epithelial
cells
Epithelial cells
Lacteal
Large
circular
folds
Villi
Lymph
vessel
Fat globule
Bile salts
Fat droplets
2 Digestion of fat by the pancreatic
enzyme lipase yields free fatty
coated with
acids and monoglycerides, which
bile salts Micelles made
up of fatty acids, then form micelles.
monoglycerides,
and bile salts
3 Fatty acids and monoglycerides leave micelles
and enter epithelial cells
by diffusion.
Epithelial
cells of
small Lacteal
intestine
Incisors
Canines
(a) Carnivore
(b) Herbivore
(c) Omnivore
Molars
Premolars
Small intestine
Stomach
Small
intestine
Cecum
Colon
(large
intestine)
Carnivore
Herbivore
Symbiotic Adaptations
Many herbivorous animals have fermentation
chambers
Where symbiotic microorganisms digest
cellulose
Intestine
Esophagus