The function of the digestive system is digestion, the breakdown of organic compounds into their simple forms for use by the cells. Digestion is the chief function of the digestive system. It breaks down food mechanically and chemically. Let us take a journey throughout the human digestive system to see how it works and how the organs coordinate in order to carry out the processes of digestion (see figure 1). To make it a little more interesting, try to imagine what happens to a hamburger when eaten. Remember that ground meat is mostly protein, mayonnaise is mostly fat, and the bun is mostly carbohydrate. The journey of the food starts from the mouth down to the anus takes about 18-20 hours. (B) cern wesorceA. INGESTION is the first process that happens in digestive system. It is the journey of taking in food or any substance into the body through the mouth. The journey of food starts when a bit of hamburger enters your mouth, Figure 1. Parts and Processes of the Digestive System Mlustrated by: Rosa Mia L. Pontillo B. DIGESTION is the second process involved in digestive system. It is the process that involves break down of large food molecules into smaller molecules for easy absorption of the cells. Both chemical and mechanical digestions begin immediately in the mouth. While the food is in the mouth, the teeth cut, crush, and break it apart into tiny pieces while the tongue helps mix food with saliva secreted by the salivary glands forming into a moist ball called bolus so it can be easily swallowed. This process is known as mastication or chewing considered as # mechanical digestion, which is the initial stage of digestion. The saliva contains salivary amylase, the enzyme that breaks down starch into smaller carbohydrate. Then, the bolus passes from the mouth to the esophagus - a tube that attaches the mouth to the stomach. A series of wave-like muscle contractions known as peristalsis push and transport foods and liquids in small sections to the stomach. BD exit with wes officeThe stomach is a J-shaped, bag-like muscular organ that can hold approximately one liter of fluid and food. The primary function of the stomach is to store food, which turns to chyme after being acted on by the stomach acid. Chyme is a semifluid material formed from bolus that is acted upon by the gastric juices secreted by the stomach, The walls of the stomach have special cells that secrete gastric juices like hydrochloric acid and pepsin that begin the chemical breakdown of proteins. —— Molecular Structure acted by turn tnt Mouse Se ‘Opterbehydreter —— Ensymes Simple Soger read Carbohydrates are broken dowa into sugars by enzymes ike amylase, sucrase-Isomaitae, maltese, and inctase. EF Fried Chicken of Proten Eneymes Amino Acids Proteins are broken down inte amine acids by enzymes like pepsin, trypsin, and peptidase. SI = SOP ap =e “on Motecvir Structure oeted by orn ince ‘of Face ‘Ewes Fatty eis ‘Fats are broken down into fatty acids by the enzyme lipase. Figure 2. Specific Location of Bndiihes\ win Figune 2.1. Summary of EnzymesLet us take a short detour into the three organs that are part of the digestive system and helps in secretion of essential substances. These organs are the liver, the pancreas and the galll bladder. ‘The liver produces bile, a green fluid that turns large fat droplets into smaller ones and stores them in the gall bladder. When necessary, bile gets into the small intestine and helps in the digestion of fat. The pancreas makes three different kinds of enzymes namely amylase, peptidase, and lipase released through a pancreatic duct that aid in the digestion of all three organic compounds such as carbohydrates, proteins, and fats respectively. The process takes about half of a liter of digestive juices each day. The liver is the biggest organ inside the body with a mass of about two kilograms. Gall bladder - a small pear-shaped sac that can hold about 50ml of bile. The pancreas is a small organ found below the stomach. ‘The small intestine is an organ that breaks down food further into substances, such as glucose, that can be absorbed by the villi. It has three parts namely the duodenum, the jejunum, and ileum. The duodenum is the first and shortest part of the small intestine that starts at the lower end of the stomach and extends for about 20 cm to 25 cm in length. Basically, it is in charge for the continuous breaking-down process as it partially receives the chyme from the stomach, it resumes chemical digestion of food, and prepares for absorption through the villi. BD exit with wes officeOrganic compounds such as carbohydrates, proteins, and fats are specifically broken down with the aid of different enzymes. Carbohydrates are broken down into sugars by enzymes like amylase, maltase and lactase. Proteins are broken down into amino acids by enzymes like trypsin and peptidase. Fats are broken down into fatty acids by the enzyme lipase. After about four hours, the stomach pushes food into the small intestines. See Figure 2 and Figure 2.1. The production and release of enzymes and acids in the digestive system is called secretion. It aids in the breaking down of complex food molecules into their chemical building blocks. The jejunum is the second part of the small intestine that is 2.5 cm in length. Its wall works for absorption through enterocytes or columnar cells of small nutrient particles which have been previously digested by the enzymes in the duodenum. BD exit with wes officeFigure 3. Absorption of nutrients through the vill. Mlustrated by: Rosa Mia L. Pontillo ©. Absorption is the third process that happens in the digestive system. It occurs mostly in the small intestine where several digestive juices, pancreatic juice, and bile aid in the chemical digestion of food. Absorption is the process of passing the soluble food molecules in the wall of the small intestine through the villi - the tiny, finger-like projections from the epithelial lining of the intestinal wall. Each villus contains blood capillaries that enable it to absorb water, glucose, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and fatty acids. It also increases the amount of surface area available for the absorption of, nutrients. See figure 3. BD exit with wes officeD. Assimilation is the fourth process that occurs in the digestive system. It is the movement of digested food nutrients into the blood vessels of the small intestine through diffusion and use of nutrients into the body cells through the microvilli — microscopic cellular membrane projections that serves to expand the surface area for diffusion and also to lessen any increase in volume. See figure 4. The third part of the small intestine is the ileum which is about 3.5 meters in length. Its main function is the assimilation (absorption) of Bi2 and the re-assimilation (reabsorption) of conjugated bile salts. The Large intestine is divided into caecum, Epithotiat cette a ae 4 (We ASS Figure 4, Diffusion of Nutrients through the Microvilli Mlustrated by: Rosa Mia L. Pontilio ascending colon, transverse colon, descending colon, and sigmoid colon. This is where reabsorption of liquid, electrolytes and some vitamins from the undigested food takes place. It secretes mucus to aid in the formation of feces and maintains alkaline conditions. This is the last segment of the gastrointestinal tract that completes absorption and compacts waste, 10 BD exit with wes office