Topic 12: Digestive

System

BHS105 ANATOMY & PHYSIOLOGY

Learning Outcomes
By the end of this lecture, student
should be able to;
1) Describe the general anatomy and
digestive process.
2) Explain
the
nutrition
and
metabolism of human body.

Introduction
The digestive system includes the
digestive tract and its accessory organs
Process food into molecules that can be
absorbed and utilized by the cells of the
body.
Food is broken down until the molecules
are small enough to be absorbed and the
waste products are eliminated.

ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY

OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM

ANATOMY OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM

Alimentary
canal / Gastrointestinal
Organs
of digestive
system (GI) tract

Figure 12.1: Human digestive system.

Alimentary canal:
i. Mouth
As food enters the
mouth (oral cavity), it is
mixed with saliva and
chewed.
Tongue mixes food with
saliva during chewing
and initiate swallowing.
Breakdown
of
food
begins before the food
left the mouth.

Figure 12.2 : Anatomy of oral cavity.

Alimentary canal:
ii. Pharynx

From mouth, food passes

into
oropharynx
&
laryngopharynx
(passageways
for
food,
fluids & air).
The wall of pharynx contain
2 skeletal muscle layers.
Alternating contractions of
these 2 muscle layers
propel food through the
pharynx into esophagus
below.

Figure 12.2 : Anatomy of oral

cavity.

Alimentary canal:
iii. Esophagus
A passageway that conducts food by peristalsis to
the stomach.
The wall of the GI tract from esophagus to large
intestine has 4 layers (tunics):
1. Tunica Mucosa
Innermost layers, moist membrane that lines lumen of digestive
tracts.
Consists: epithelium, connective tissue and thin layer smooth
muscle.

2. Tunica Submucosa
Thick connective tissues-contain blood and lymphatic vessels,
nerves, glands.

3. Tunica muscularis externa

Made up of an inner circular layer and outer longitudinal layer of

smooth muscle cells

4. Tunica serosa

Outermost layer of the wall.

Tunics:

Figure 12.3: Basic structure of the alimentary canal wall.

Alimentary canal:
iv. Stomach
Stomach acts as a temporary storage
tank for food as well as a site for food
breakdown.
When stomach is full, it can hold
about 4L of foods.
The mucosa of the stomach produces
large amounts of mucus and the
gastric glands secrete gastric juice.
Chemical breakdown of proteins
begins in the stomach.

 After the food has been

processed
in
the
stomach, it resembles
heavy
cream
called
chyme.
The chyme enter the
small intestine through
the pyloric sphincter.

Figure 12.4:Anatomy for the stomach.

Alimentary canal:
v. Small intestine
Longest section of the alimentary tube, with an
average length of 2.5 to 7m in a living person.
3 subdivisions:
a. Duodenum

shortest subdivision
of
the
small
intestine, join with
bile and pacreatic
duct.
b. Jejunum
c. Ileum joins the
large intestine.

Figure 12.5: Structure of small and

large intestine.

 Wall structures of small intestine:

a. Microvilli give the cell surface fuzzy
appearance.
b. Villi rich with capillaries and lacteal
c. Circular folds deep fold of mucosa
and submucosa layers.
These structure
increase
the
surface
area,
decrease
in
number toward
the end of the
small intestine.
Figure 12.6: Structure of small intestine.

Alimentary canal:
vi. Large intestine
Larger diameter than small
intestine, but shorter in
length (1.5m).
Major functions:
To dry out the ingestible
food residue by absorbing
water.
To eliminate the residues
from the body by feces.

Figure 12.7: Structure of large intestine.

The subdivision of large intestine:

- Cecum
- Appendix

- Colon
- Rectum

-Anal canal

Figure 12.8: Journey of the food in the digestive system.

Accessory Digestive Organs:

i. Salivary glands
The product of salivary
saliva, is a mixture of:

glands,

Mucus moistens and helps to bind

food together into a mass, makes
chewing and swallowing easier.
Serous fluid contain enzyme (salivary
amylase that begins the process of
starch digestion in the mouth.

Saliva also contains lysozyme and

antibodies (IgA) that inhibit bacteria.

Accessory Digestive Organs:

ii. Teeth
Fx : tear and grind the food, breaking
it down into smaller fragments.
A typical tooth consists of crown
covered with enamel and root
covered with cementum.
Most of the tooth is bonelike dentin.
The pulp cavity contains blood
vessels and nerves.

Accessory Digestive Organs:

iii. Pancreas
Pancreas is a soft gland lying in between the
stomach and duodenum.
The pancreas produces enzyme (pancreatic
enzyme):
Break down all categories of digestible
foods.
Alkaline fluid neutralizes the acidic
chyme coming in from the stomach.
Pancreas also has an endocrine function
produces hormones insulin and glucagon.

Insulin and glucagon

Insulin and glucagon are equally important in
managing blood glucose level.
During
digestion,
foods
that
contain
carbohydrates are digested and converted to
glucose. This causes a rise in blood glucose.
The increase in sugar signals your pancreas to
produce insulin to manage the level of sugar in
your blood.
Insulin works to move glucose from the blood and
into cells for energy or storage (glycogen) for
later energy.
When
insulin
is
produced,
glucagon
is
suppressed.

Insulin and glucagon

Glucagon is a counterbalance to insulin.
Approximately 4 6 hours after you eat, the
glucose levels in your blood become reduced.
This triggers the production of glucagon in the
pancreas.
When the pancreas secretes glucagon, it
suppresses insulin.
Glucagon signals the liver and muscles to break
down glycogen into glucose and release glucose
back into your bloodstream.
This keeps your blood sugar levels from dipping
too low.

Accessory Digestive Organs:

iv. Liver and gallbladder
Liver is a largest gland in the body,
consist of 4 lobes.
It has many metabolic and regulatory
roles, however in digestive function
is to produce bile.
Bile does not contain enzymes, but the
bile salts emulsify fats by physical
breaking large fat into smaller ones,
thus providing more surface area for the
fat-digesting enzymes to work on.

Accessory Digestive Organs:

iv. Liver and gallbladder
Gallbladder is a small, green sac.
When food digestion is not occurring,
bile enters the gallbladder to be
stored.
When
fatty
food
enter
the
duodenum, the gallbladder contract
and spurt out stored bile, making it
available to the duodenum.

Figure 12.9: Digestive organs: Roles and functions

GI tract
process and
1.Ingestion.
controls

2.Propulsion.
3.Food
breakdown:
mechanical
digestion.
4.Food
breakdown:
chemical digestion.
5.Absorption.
6.Defecation.
Figure 12.10: Digestive activities.

NUTRITION AND
METABOLISM

NUTRITION
A nutrient is a substance in food
used
to
promote
growth,
maintenance and repair of the body.
The
major
nutrients
are
carbohydrate, lipids and proteins.
Vitamins and minerals are required
in minute amount.

 Carbohydrate (sugar & starch)

included in fruits and vegetables (plant
products).
Lipids Found in meats, dairy products
and vegetable oils.
Protein Eg. Eggs, milks, meats and
fish.
Minerals most plentiful in vegetables
and legumes. Mainly important for
enzyme activity.
Calcium Important for building bone,
blood clotting and secretory activities.

METABOLISM
Metabolism is all chemical reactions that
are necessary to maintain life.
It involves:
i.

Catabolism substances break down to

simpler substances.
ii. Anabolism larger molecules or structures
are built from smaller ones.

During catabolism, energy is released

and captured to make ATP, used to
energize all cellular activities, including
catabolic reactions.

Cellular respiration

Figure 12.11: Summary equation for cellular respiration.

 Foods must be broken down to their

building blocks to be absorbed.
Carbohydrates simple sugars or
monosaccharides.
Proteins amino acids.
Fats/lipids fatty acids and glycerol.

SUMMARY
The digestive system breaks down
ingested food into particles small
enough to be absorbed into the
blood.
Metabolism produces cellular energy
(ATP)
and
accounts
for
all
constructive and degradative cellular
activities.

THANK YOU