DIGESTIVE

SYSTEM
consists of organs that
primarily function for
digestion
WHAT IS DIGESTION?

DIGESTIO
N
the mechanical
and chemical
breakdown of
food into
molecules that

Mechanical
digestion

the
PHYSICAL
breakdown of food
into smaller pieces
via MASTICATION
or CHEWING with

Chemical
digestion

the
process
of
converting
the
insoluble form of
food into its soluble
form with the aid of

2 groups of ORGANS
that participate in
DIGESTION
GASTROINTESTINAL
TRACT
(GIT) - mouth, most of the
pharynx, esophagus, stomach,
small
intestine,
and
large
intestine
ACCESSORY DIGESTIVE ORGANS
include the teeth, tongue,
salivary
glands,
liver,

FUNCTIONS OF THE
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
Ingestion | taking food into mouth
Secretion | release of water, acid,
buffers, and enzymes into the GI
tract
Mixing and propulsion | churning
and propulsion of food through GI
tract

 Digestion | mechanical and

chemical breakdown of food
Absorption | passage of
digested products from GI
tract into circulatory system
Defecation | elimination of
feces from GI tract

HISTOLOGY of THE ALIMENTARY

CANAL

1. Mucosa
a. EPITHELIUM- for protection, secretion of
enzyme and mucus, and absorption of nutrients
b. LAMINA PROPRIA- support the epithelium
and binds it to the muscularis, and provide
lymph and blood supply
c. MUSCULARIS MUCOSAE(small intestine)produce folds to increase surface area for
digestion and absorption
2. Submucosa
a. composed of loose fibrous connective tissue
3. Muscularis
a. Composed of smooth muscles
4. Serosa- covers organs and bind them to each
other and to the walls of the cavity

DIGESTION starts
with INGESTION
INGESTION process of
taking in foods or liquids
into the mouth
MOUTH or ORAL CAVITY
- initial site of digestion
- formed by the cheeks,
hard and soft palates, and
tongue

Mouth or Oral cavity

CHEEKS AND LIPS |help keep food
between the upper and lower teeth
(for uniform mastication)
PALATE| includes the hard and soft
palate which separates the oral
cavity and nasal cavity
- SOFT PALATE|UVULA
closes the opening to the nasal cavity
during swallowing

Mouth or Oral cavity

TONGUE | composed of
(extrinsic and intrinsic)
skeletal
muscle
and
forms the floor of the oral
cavity
- lingual frenulum
- hyoid bone
FUNCTION:
aids in mixing food in

PAPILLAE | extension
of lamina propria
and covered with
epithelium
TASTE BUDS | serve
as
receptors
for
gustation (taste) and
presence of food in
mouth

Mouth or Oral cavity

TEETH | accessory
organs that function
for cutting, tearing
and pulverizing solid
food into smaller
size
- located in the
alveolar processes of
mandible and maxilla
bones

PERMANENT
DENTITION IN HUMANS
INCISORS |chiselshaped teeth that
are adapted for
cutting food
CUSPIDS OR CANINES
|with 1 pointed
surface (cusp) used
for tearing and
shredding food

PREMOLARS |
with 2 cusps
(pointed
surface)
MOLARS
|
with 4 cusps
both
function
for
crushing and

Mouth or Oral cavity

SALIVARY
GLANDS
|
secrete
saliva
that
moistens food,
start
the chemical digestion
of carbohydrates, make
sense of taste possible
and help cleanse the
mouth
Buccal Glands

3 SALIVARY GLANDS
PAROTID GLAND
SUBMANDIBULAR GLAND
SUBLINGUAL GLAND
- they secrete saliva (99.5%water,
.5% salts, chlorides, lysozyme,
bicarbonates
and
phosphates,
mucin that forms mucus) and the
important
enzymes
(SALIVARY
AMYLASE
AND
PTYALIN)
that
partially breakdown carbohydrates

Pharynx /
Throat
funnel-shaped
tube about 13 cm long

Esopha
gus
-a highly
muscular tube
that functions
as a
passageway of
food into the
stomach
(PERISTALSIS)
-secrete mucus

LOWER
ESOPHAGEAL
SPHINCTER
- prevents the
backflow of bolus
(from the stomach
back to the
esophagus)

Stomach |

J-

shaped organ
PARTS : cardia, fundus,
body and
pylorus
Pyloric
sphincter

valve
between
the
stomach and the small
intestines
that
regulates the amount

FUNCTIONS OF THE
STOMACH
1. mixes saliva, food, and
gastric juice to form
CHYME
2.
secretes gastric juice,
which
contains HCl , pepsin,
mucus and gastric lipase

Secretions of the Stomach

Mucus: surface and neck mucous cells
Viscous and alkaline
Protects the GIT from acidic chyme and enzyme
pepsin
Irritation of stomach mucosa causes greater mucus
production
Intrinsic factor |PARIETAL CELLS- Binds with vitamin
B12 and helps it to be absorbed (for DNA synthesis)
HCl | PARIETAL CELLS
Kills bacteria
Stops carbohydrate digestion by inactivating
salivary amylase
Denatures proteins
Helps convert pepsinogen to pepsin
Pepsinogen | CHIEF CELLS- catalyzes breaking of
covalent bonds in proteins.
G-cells: secrete the hormone gastrin which stimulates
HCl secretion from parietal cells

Small Intestine

main site of digestion and

absorption
extends from the pyloric
sphincter to the ileocecal
valve
3 parts include the
following: DUODENUM,
JEJUNUM,ILEUM

SECRETION OF THE SMALL

INTESTINES
includes mucus and digestive
enzymes
digestive
enzymes
split
molecules of sugars, proteins
and fats into simpler forms
INTESTINAL
GLANDS
or
CRYPTS
OF
LIEBERKUHN
(mucosa) - secrete intestinal
digestive enzyme

FUNCTIONS OF THE SMALL

INTESTINE
1.segmentations mix chyme
with digestive juices and
bring food into contact with
its lining for absorption
2.completes
digestion
of
carbohydrates,
proteins,
and
lipids;
begins
and
completes
digestion
of

ABSORPTION BY THE SMALL

INTESTINES
anatomic structure of the small
intestine is highly specialized to
this function
GIT- 21 feet long
PLICAE- series of folds
the mucosa layer is transformed
into projections called VILLI (0.51mm long)
villi absorb monosaccharide, amino
acids and glycerol and fatty acids

Large
Intestine

Wall of the Large

Intestine

FUNCTIONS OF THE
LARGE INTESTINE
1. Bacteria in large intestine
convert proteins to amino
acids, and produce some B
vitamins and vitamin K.
2. Absorption of water, ions,
and vitamins.
3. Forming feces.
4. Defecation (act of

 PANCREAS
Pancreatic
juice
buffers acidic gastric
juice in chyme and
participates in the
digestion
of
carbohydrates,
proteins,
triglycerides,
and
nucleic acids.

Pancreatic Secretions: Pancreatic Juice

Interaction of duodenal and pancreatic enzymes.

Enterokinase from the duodenal mucosa and
attached to the brush border activates trypsinogen
to trypsin.
Trypsin activates chymotrypsinogen to
chymotrypsin
Trypsin activates procarboxypeptidase to
carboxypeptidase.
Trypsin, chymotrypsin and carboxypeptidase digest
proteins: proteolytic.
Pancreatic amylase continues digestion of starch
Pancreatic lipase digests lipids
Deoxyribonucleases and ribonucleases digest DNA
and ribonucleic acid, respectively

 LIVER
Produces bile,
which
is
required
for
the breakdown
and absorption
of lipids in the
small

Composition of Bile

A yellow-green, alkaline solution

containing bile salts, bile pigments,
cholesterol, neutral fats, phospholipids,
and electrolytes
Bile salts are cholesterol derivatives that:

Emulsify fat
Facilitate fat and cholesterol absorption
Help solubilize cholesterol

Enterohepatic circulation recycles bile

salts
The chief bile pigment is bilirubin, a waste
product of heme

 GALLBLAD
DER
Stores and
concentrate
s bile and
releases
it
into
the

Digestion of the Three Major Food Types