SCIENCE 8

QUARTER 4
WEEK 1 EMCFA
"One cannot think
well, love well, sleep
well, if one has not
dined well."
~ Virginia Woolf
 LESSON OBJECTIVES
✓ Describe how the gastrointestinal tracts
work.
✓ Explain ingestion, absorption, assimilation,
and excretion.
✓ Identify common ailments of the digestive
system.
HOW DO ORGANISMS SURVIVE?

Living organisms need FOOD to

survive. But since the food we eat is in
COMPLEX form, it must be broken
down into smaller pieces!
These foods
need to be
properly
DIGESTED !
 THE
DIGESTIVE
SYSTEM
This is a house. It can move in,
out, up and down, surrounded by
a white picket fence and has red
earth and sky. What am I?
It is white. Some are sharp,
some are not. What am I?
Often held but never touched,
always wet but never rusts,
often bites but seldom bit, to
use me well you must have wit.
What am I?
You feel hungry when I am
empty. When you’re hungry,
you hear noises from me.
What am I?
Found at the back of a book
or in an abdomen. What am I?
I show the exit to the junk
food you ate and didn't digest.
What am I?
What kind of button cannot
be unbutton?
Digestive System Demo-
Do it at Home Experiment
 Function
• Function of the digestive system is to help
convert large food molecules into simpler
molecules (monomers) that can be absorbed
and used by the cells of the body.
 The Digestive Tract
5 step process:
1. Ingestion Taking food into body
2. Digestion Breaking down food
3. Absorption Moving food into cells
4. Assimilation Making food part of cell
5. Excretion Removing unused food
 Taking in food
INGESTION
- the process of taking
food, drink, or another
substance into the body
by swallowing it.
DIGESTION 2 MECHANICAL
It is the breaking
T
down of food DIGESTION
into SMALLER Y
PIECES that the P CHEMICAL
body can absorb E DIGESTION
and use.
S
MECHANICAL
DIGESTION
- physical preparation of
food for digestion.
▪ Chew ▪ Mash
▪ Tear ▪ Mix
▪ Grind
* Mechanical Digestion Begins When
the Teeth Break Down Ingested Food
The movement of the jaw
enables the teeth to grind
food into small fragments.
The official name for
chewing is mastication.
This is the first step in
mechanical digestion.
CHEMICAL
DIGESTION
- Carbohydrates, Fat,
and Proteins are broken
down by enzymes.
* Saliva Moistens Food and Begins
the Process of Chemical Digestion
Saliva secreted by salivary
glands aids the mechanical and
chemical process of digestion.
Saliva is about 99% water and
not only moistens food but
cleanses the mouth, dissolves
food chemicals so they can be
tasted.
* The Tongue Creates a Bolus so It
Can Travel Down the Pharynx and
Esophagus
The tongue
manipulates the
chewed food into a
small mass called a
bolus, then moves it
to the pharynx.
* The Tongue Creates a Bolus so It
Can Travel Down the Pharynx and
Esophagus
The next steps are
involuntary: the bolus passes
through the pharynx, the
epiglottis closes off the
trachea and directs the bolus
down the esophagus, and
peristaltic waves move the
bolus into the stomach.
PROPULSION
Peristalsis – alternate
waves of muscular
contraction and relaxation
in the primary digestive
organs. The end result is
to squeeze food from one
part of the system to the
next.
 ABSORPTION
- It is the process of TAKING UP
nutrients.
- transfer of the digested
portion of food into the blood
from the digestive canal.
Villi That Line the Walls of the Small
Intestine Absorb Nutrients
Villi that line the
walls of the small
intestine absorb
nutrients into
capillaries of the
circulatory system
and lacteals of the
lymphatic system.
 ASSIMILATION
- It is the process of USING
the nutrients by the body.
The Large Intestine Completes
Absorption and Compacts Waste
Chyme passes from the
small intestine. Any
remaining nutrients and
some water are
absorbed as peristaltic
waves move the chyme
into the ascending and
transverse colons.
The Large Intestine Completes
Absorption and Compacts Waste
This dehydration,
combined with peristaltic
waves, helps compact the
chyme. The solid waste
formed is called feces.
The large intestine
temporarily stores the
feces prior to elimination.
 EXCRETION/
DEFECATION

- removal/elimination of the
waste products from the body.
Defecation Eliminates Waste From
the Body
The body expels waste
products from digestion
through the rectum and anus.
This process, called
defecation, involves
contraction of rectal muscles,
relaxation of the internal anal
sphincter.
Defecation Eliminates Waste From
the Body
The defecation reflex is
mostly involuntary, under the
command of the autonomic
nervous system. But the
somatic nervous system also
plays a role to control the
timing of elimination.
https://youtu.be/HW1_0LSJIwc
 2 main groups of organs in the
digestive system
1. Alimentary Canal aka Gastrointestinal tract
a. Mouth Tube within a tube
b. Pharynx Direct path between
c. Esophagus organs
d. Stomach Pathway by which
food enters the body
e. Small intestine
and solid wastes are
f. Large intestine expelled
e. Rectum
Gastrointestinal
tract
• mouth
• pharynx
• esophagus
• stomach
• small intestine
• large intestine
• rectum
 Mouth
• Teeth mechanically
break down food into
small pieces. Tongue
mixes food with saliva
(contains amylase,
which helps break
down starch).
 Pharynx
• The hollow tube inside the
neck that starts behind the
nose and ends at the top of
the trachea (windpipe) and
esophagus. Pharynx is about
5 inches long, depending on
body size. Also called throat.
 Epiglottis
• Epiglottis is a flap-like
structure at the back of
the throat that closes
over the trachea
preventing food from
entering it. It is located
in the Pharynx.
The 4 Stages of
Swallowing: Biomechanics
& Bolus Movement

• oral preparatory stage

• oral transit/propulsive
stage
• pharyngeal stage
• esophageal stage
The 4 Stages of Swallowing: Biomechanics & Bolus
Movement
• Oral preparatory stage -food is kept in the front
part of the mouth where it is moistened with saliva
and chewed into a softer consistency.
• Oral transit/propulsive stage- begins with the
tongue raising up against the hard palate while the
back of the tongue drops to allow the bolus to move
into the back of the mouth.
The 4 Stages of Swallowing: Biomechanics & Bolus
Movement
• Pharyngeal stage–is a rapid sequential activity
during which the bolus is propelled into the
esophagus. The larynx elevates while the
epiglottis flips down protecting the airway.
• Esophageal stage - involuntary, movement of the
bolus through the esophagus and into the
stomach.
 Esophagus
• Approximately 20 cm long.
• Functions include:
1.Secrete mucus
2.Moves food from the throat to
the stomach using muscle
movement called peristalsis
• If acid from the stomach gets in
here that’s heartburn.
 Stomach
• J-shaped muscular bag that stores the
food you eat, breaks it down into tiny
pieces.
• Mixes food with Digestive Juices that
contain enzymes to break down Proteins
and Lipids.
• Acid (HCl) in the stomach Kills Bacteria.
• Food found in the stomach is called
Chyme. 47
 Small Intestine
• Small intestines are roughly 7
meters long
• Lining of intestine walls has finger-
like projections called villi, to
increase surface area.
• The villi are covered in microvilli
which further increases surface
area for absorption.
 Small Intestine
• Nutrients from the food pass into
the bloodstream through the small
intestine walls.
• Secretes digestive enzymes
• Absorbs:
– 80% ingested water
– Vitamins
– Minerals
– Carbohydrates
– Proteins
– Lipids
The duodenum is the
first part of the small
intestine that the
stomach feeds into. It’s
a short, descending
chute (about 10 inches
long) that curves
around the pancreas in
a “C” shape before
connecting to the rest
of the coiled
intestines.
To help break food down, the
small intestine receives digestive
juices from other organs in your
digestive system, including your
liver, gallbladder and pancreas.
Ducts from these organs feed
into the duodenum. Hormone
glands in the lining of the
duodenum signal these organs to
release their chemicals when
food is present.
The middle section, called
the jejunum, makes up a
little less than half of this
remaining length. The
jejunum is characterized
by many blood vessels,
which give it a deep red
color.
After chemical digestion in
the duodenum, food moves
into the jejunum, where the
muscle work of digestion
picks up. Nerves in the
intestinal walls trigger its
muscles to churn food back
and forth (segmentation),
mixing it with digestive juices.
Other muscle movements
(peristalsis) keep the food
moving gradually forward.
The ileum is the last and
longest section of the small
intestine. Here the walls of
the small intestine begin to
thin and narrow, and blood
supply is reduced. Food
spends the most time in the
ileum, where the most water
and nutrients are absorbed.
In the ileum, segmentation
slows down and peristalsis
takes over, moving food
waste gradually toward the
large intestine. The ileocecal
valve separates the ileum
from the large intestine.
Nerves and hormones signal
the valve to open to let food
pass through and close to
keep bacteria out. Special
immune cells line the ileum
to protect against bacteria.
Large Intestine
• About 1.5 meters long
• Accepts what small
intestines don’t absorb
• Rectum (short term
storage which holds
feces before it is
expelled).
Large Intestine
• Functions
–Bacterial digestion
• Ferment
carbohydrates

– Absorbs more water

– Concentrate wastes
 Rectum
• The last several inches of
the large intestine closest to
the anus.
• Function
–collect and hold your poop until it's
time to release it. Your rectum
relaxes and stretches to
accommodate the waste as it
gradually comes in from your colon.
 2 main groups of organs in the
digestive system
2. Accessory Digestive Organs
a. Teeth Not part of the path of
b. Tongue food, but play a
critical role.
c. Gall bladder
d. Salivary glands
e. Liver
f. Pancreas
Accessory
Digestive
Organs
• teeth
• tongue
• gall bladder
• salivary glands
• liver
• pancreas
 Teeth
• They break down foods by crushing
or cutting them before you swallow.
Most humans have 32 teeth,
although some have more and
some have fewer. Enamel (the
protective outer layer of your teeth)
is the hardest substance in the
human body.
 Salivary Glands
• They make saliva (spit), the
lubricating fluid found in the
mouth and throat. Saliva has
enzymes that begin the process of
digesting (breaking down) food. It
also has antibodies and other
substances that help prevent
infections of the mouth and
throat.
 Salivary Glands
You have three major
types of salivary glands:
• Sublingual gland
• Submandibular gland
• Parotid gland
 Tongue
• The tongue is principally involved in digestion, taste
perception, and speech but also plays an important role
in breathing.
• A pink tongue is healthy and normal. A red tongue may
indicate heat in the body like a fever or a hormonal imbalance.
A reddish purple tongue is a sign that there may be
inflammation or an infection in the body. A pale pink tongue
may be a sign of a vitamin deficiency, a weak immune system
or a lack of energy.
 Tongue
• The tongue is principally involved in digestion, taste
perception, and speech but also plays an important role
in breathing.
• A pink tongue is healthy and normal. A red tongue may
indicate heat in the body like a fever or a hormonal imbalance.
A reddish purple tongue is a sign that there may be
inflammation or an infection in the body. A pale pink tongue
may be a sign of a vitamin deficiency, a weak immune system
or a lack of energy.
 Gallbladder
• Stores bile from the liver, releases
it into the small intestine.
• Bile helps with digestion. It breaks
down fats into fatty acids, which
can be taken into the body by the
digestive tract.
• Fatty diets can cause gallstones
 Can we live without our gallbladder?

Without a gallbladder, you can still live a perfectly

normal life. The amount of bile produced by your liver
to digest meals will still be sufficient, but instead of
being stored in the gallbladder, it will drip
continuously into your digestive tract. You’ll likely
need to make some adjustments to your lifestyle and
eating habits to avoid any problems like limiting your
fat intake.
 Liver
• Directly affects
digestion by producing
bile
–Bile helps digest fat
• filters out toxins and
waste including drugs
and alcohol and
poisons.
 Can we live without our liver?

You can't live without a working liver. If your liver

stops working properly, you may need a transplant. A
liver transplant may be recommended if you have
chronic liver failure. Without a liver: your blood won't
properly clot, causing uncontrolled bleeding, toxins
and chemical and digestive byproducts will build up in
the blood. you'll have fewer defenses against bacterial
and fungal infections.
 Pancreas
• It is located inside your
abdomen, just behind your
stomach. It's about the size of
your hand. During digestion,
your pancreas makes
pancreatic juices called
enzymes.
Pancreatic enzymes
released into your digestive system, through the duodenum

• Lipase. This enzyme works together

with bile, which your liver produces,
to break down fat in your diet.
• Protease. This enzyme breaks down
proteins in your diet. It also helps
protect you from germs that may
live in your intestines
Pancreatic enzymes
• Amylase. This enzyme helps break
down starches into sugar, which
your body can use for energy.
Pancreatic hormones
hormones are released into your blood and carry
messages to other parts of your digestive system.

• Insulin. This enzyme helps break

down starches into sugar, which
your body can use for energy.
• Glucagon. Prevent blood glucose
levels dropping too low.
Pancreatic hormones
hormones are released into your blood and carry
messages to other parts of your digestive system.

• Gastrin and amylin. Gastrin

stimulates your stomach to make
gastric acid. Amylin helps control
appetite and stomach emptying.
 Can we live without our pancreas?

It is possible to live a healthy life without a pancreas,

but doing so requires on-going medical care. Pancreas
removal causes diabetes, and can change the body's
ability to digest food. This requires lifelong diabetes
treatment, including eating a low-sugar, low-
carbohydrate diabetes diet.
https://youtu.be/ZBZWgrfZFbU
 ASSESSMENT
• Directions: Complete the given statements in the
activity. Select the word/words from the list
provided. Do this in your notebook. Note: Copy
then answer.
In human digestive system, food enters the
(1)_______________through the process of
taking in food known as (2)______________.
Food is changed physically into smaller pieces
through (3)________________ digestion.
The ingested food and product of digestion in
the mouth which is known as
(4)_____________, travels down the
(5)________________, a long muscular tube.
Here, food is easily pushed down the tube due
to muscular contractions known as
(6)__________________. As food reaches the
(7)__________________, a sac like muscular
organ, there is churning and mixing that takes
place. Gastric juices produced by the cells of
its walls help in the breakdown of food
(8)______________, a type of digestion when
enzymes actively takes part in the process.
Food becomes a thick liquid called
9)__________. Later, food enters the
(10)__________________ for further
digestion and (11)________________, a
process when nutrients enter and are
absorbed in the bloodstream. Tiny hair-like
structures in the walls of the small intestine
called villi help facilitate the entry of nutrients
via the capillaries.
The body is now ready to perform the process of
(12)______________, when the nutrients
absorbed are used by the cells for metabolic
activities. The undigested food travels down into
the (13)________________, where important
liquids are reabsorbed by the system, leaving
behind the waste materials or
(14)______________. These waste materials
are eliminated out from the body through the
(15)____________.
 Digestive System Disorders

• Any problems in the digestive system

caused by contaminated food, lack of
water, stress, lack of fiber and the
side-effects caused by medication
Gastro-esophageal Reflux
(GERD) or heartburn
 Gastro-esophageal Reflux
(GERD) or heartburn
• Frequent episodes of acid reflux
• Cause: Muscle found at the end of the
esophagus does not close properly, allows
acid from the stomach, or leaks into the
esophagus
• Avoid alcohol and spicy, fatty, or acidic foods
or beverages that trigger heartburn
 Digestive System Disorders
• Diarrhea → not enough
water is absorbed in the
intestines
• Constipation → too much
water is absorbed in the
intestines
 Symptoms DIARRHEA
• Has to go to the 1.9 children under
bathroom more than 3 the age of 5 years,
times a day mostly in
• Loose and watery stools developing
countries DIE
• Abdominal pain
from DIARRHEA
• Vomiting and tiredness
 DIARRHEA

Dysentery: severe
diarrhea accompanied
by blood or mucus
 Causes of Diarrhea
• A bacterial infection (campylobacter, E.coli, salmonella)
• A virus (norovirus, rotavirus)
• Trouble digesting certain things (food intolerance) caused by
anxiety.
• Food allergy (such as celiac disease, gluten allergy, lactose
intolerance)
• Parasites that enter the body through food or water (giardiasis)
• A reaction to medicines
• irritable bowel syndrome
• A result of surgery on the stomach or gall bladder.
 Preventive Measures
• Washing hands thoroughly after
going to the toilet and before
DIARRHEA
eating or preparing food.
• Avoiding sharing items like
towels, handkerchiefs, utensils
etc. with a person suffering from
diarrhea.
• Drink fluids that are mixture of
water , salt and sugar. –sports
drinks, fruit juices
 Symptoms CONSTIPATION
• Unable to relieve when
you go to the bathroom.
• Stools that are difficult
or painful to pass.
• Hard, dry stool, usually
fewer than three times a
week.
 Causes CONSTIPATION
• Insufficient water intake
• Lack of fiber
• Not chewing food
properly
• Depression, stress and
anxiety
 Preventive CONSTIPATION
Measures
• Eat fiber-rich foods:
fruits and vegetables
• Drink plenty of water.
• Exercise regularly
 DIGESTIVE MYTHS
Myth: Fiber No Help With Diarrhea
At first, it doesn't make sense that fiber, which is so
well-known for improving constipation, could also aid
with the flip side: diarrhea. But it's true. The nutrient
helps keep the stool from being too hard or too loose.
It works by either pulling more water from the colon to
loosen stools (for constipation) or absorbing some of
the fluid in the intestine to firm them up (for diarrhea).
 Peptic ulcer
• Peptic ulcer →
develop in the
lining of the
stomach
• Symptoms:
burning
sensation, pain in
the stomach
 Peptic ulcer
• 3 main causes
• A bacteria called Helicobacter Pylori.
• Excessive Hydrochloric Acid – Zollinger-Ellison
Syndrome, powerful acids in stomach damage
stomach wall
• Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
 DIGESTIVE MYTHS
Myth: Spicy Foods Cause Ulcers
People used to think that too much spicy food
would give you an ulcer. But we now know that
most of these sores in your stomach lining happen
because of an infection with bacteria called
Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) or because of pain
medications such as aspirin, ibuprofen, or
naproxen. Spicy foods don't cause ulcers.
 DIGESTIVE MYTHS
Myth: Stress Causes Ulcers
The cause of your ulcer is more likely to be
Helicobacter pylori, a bacterium. You're certainly
not alone if you have an infestation of this bacteria,
since about half the people on the planet do. It is a
leading cause of ulcers as well as certain cancers.
There's good news though: H. pylori can be treated
with antibiotics.
 APPENDICITIS
• Symptoms and causes
• Sudden pain that begins on the
right side of the lower
abdomen. Pain that worsens if
you cough, walk or make other
jarring movements.
• loss of appetite
• nausea or vomiting
• fever
 APPENDICITIS
https://youtu.be/r9amif1DQMc
 DIGESTIVE MYTHS
Myth: Jumping or exercising after
eating will give you appendicitis.

Exercising immediately after eating will not be the

cause of appendicitis. Rather obstruction of
appendix lumen, often by stool, various infections
such as virus, bacteria, or parasites can cause
appendicitis.
 DIGESTIVE MYTHS
Myth: It Takes Years to Digest Gum
It might seem like gum could stick around in your
gut for a long time. After all, it doesn't dissolve in
your mouth like other foods, and your stomach
can't break it down if you swallow it. But there's no
truth to this claim. Your digestive system moves it
along just like everything else, and it comes out in
your stool in a few days.
 DIGESTIVE MYTHS
Myth: Meat Stays in Your Stomach
Longer Than Vegetables
After all, meat just feels heavier and fattier than
veggies, right? But while it's true that fat can slow
the digestive process, meat and vegetables take
about the same amount of time to get through your
digestive tract
 DIGESTIVE MYTHS
Myth: Pooping once a week is normal
Regular bowel movements are necessary for the
optimal functioning of the body. Having a bowel
movement once every day is considered normal.
But as a ground rule, pooping three times a day to
three times a week is also considered normal.
 DIGESTIVE MYTHS
Myth: Your stomach shrinks if you
eat less.
Once you are an adult, your stomach pretty much
remains the same size -- unless you have surgery
to intentionally make it smaller.
 DIGESTIVE MYTHS
Myth: Cooked Food Is Easier to Digest
Digestion is the process of breaking down macro-
molecules into micro-molecules and being able to gain
access to nutritional value, caloric content, vitamins,
and minerals. Your digestive tract is a master at this,
whether you supply it with food that's raw or cooked.
Cooking sometimes grants easier access to nutrients,
but overcooking can destroy some, too.
 DIGESTIVE MYTHS
Myth: Smelly farts always mean
something is wrong.
Is there such a thing as good smelling fart? Some of
the most healthy foods that we eat like fiber, broccoli,
asparagus causes the most smelliest farts. Common
causes of foul-smelling gas can be a food intolerance,
high-fiber foods, certain medications and antibiotics,
and constipation.
 DIGESTIVE MYTHS
Myth: Smelly farts always mean
something is wrong.
Scientists at Johns Hopkins University, in Baltimore,
Maryland, US, have found that hydrogen sulphide in
flatus - informally known as a fart - is also produced
by an enzyme in blood vessels where it relaxes them
and lowers blood pressure.
 DIGESTIVE FACTS
Why do we fart ?
Flatulence is passing gas from the digestive system out
of the back passage. It's more commonly known as
"passing wind", or "farting". When you swallow food,
water or saliva, you also swallow small amounts of air,
which collects in the digestive system. Gases can also
build up when you digest food. The body needs to get rid
of the build-up by farting (flatulence) or burping
(belching).
 DIGESTIVE FACTS
Why do we fart smelly?
Sometimes you may not notice you have passed wind because
most of the gases are odorless and often released in small
quantities. Flatulence usually only has a bad smell if it contains
gases that smell, such as sulfur. However, it's important to
remember it's normal for the gas you pass to sometimes smell a
bit. The cause of the odor is intestinal bacteria that produce
compounds containing sulfur. Most farts are caused by
swallowed air or healthy gut bacteria that release gas after
breaking down food.
 DIGESTIVE FACTS
Why do we burp?
Belching is commonly known as
burping. It's your body's way of
expelling excess air from your upper
digestive tract. Most belching is caused
by swallowing excess air. This air most
often never even reaches the stomach
but accumulates in the esophagus.
 DIGESTIVE FACTS
Why do we hiccup?
Some common causes include: https://youtu.be/ARt_R3mAJyo

• Eating too much or too quickly

• Feeling nervous or excited
• Drinking carbonated beverages or too much
alcohol
• Stress
• A sudden change in temperature
• Swallowing air while sucking on candy or
chewing gum
 DIGESTIVE FACTS
Why do we hiccup?
American Charles Osborne (14 December 1892 – 1 May
1991) had hiccups for 68 years, from 1922 to February
1990, and was entered in the Guinness World Records as
the man with the longest attack of hiccups, an estimated
430 million hiccups.
END OF LECTURE