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digestive system

The digestive system breaks down food, absorbs nutrients, and eliminates waste through the alimentary canal and accessory organs. Key organs include the mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, and large intestine, each performing specific functions in digestion and absorption. The process involves ingestion, digestion, absorption, and elimination, with the small intestine being the primary site for nutrient uptake.

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9 views6 pages

digestive system

The digestive system breaks down food, absorbs nutrients, and eliminates waste through the alimentary canal and accessory organs. Key organs include the mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, and large intestine, each performing specific functions in digestion and absorption. The process involves ingestion, digestion, absorption, and elimination, with the small intestine being the primary site for nutrient uptake.

Uploaded by

donsalman462
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Digestive system

Structure and Function of Digestive Organs


The digestive system is responsible for breaking down food,
absorbing nutrients, and eliminating waste.
The digestive system consists of the alimentary canal (digestive tract)
and accessory organs, each with specific structures and functions
that contribute to digestion and absorption.
1. Alimentary Canal (Digestive Tract) Organs
These are the hollow organs through which food passes from
ingestion to excretion.

❖ Mouth
➢ Structure: Includes teeth, tongue, and salivary glands.
➢ Function:
Chews food (mechanical digestion).
Mixes food with saliva containing amylase (chemical digestion of
carbohydrates).
Forms food into a bolus for swallowing.

❖ Pharynx (Throat)
➢ Structure: Muscular tube connecting the mouth to the
esophagus.
➢ Function:
Transports food from the mouth to the esophagus.
Prevents food from entering the airway via the epiglottis.

❖ Esophagus
➢ Structure: A muscular tube about 25 cm long.
➢ Function:
Moves food to the stomach via peristalsis (wave-like muscle
contractions).
Secretes mucus to ease passage of food.

❖ Stomach
➢ Structure: J-shaped muscular organ with a lining that contains
gastric glands.

➢ Function:
Stores food and churns it into chyme.
Secretes gastric juices (hydrochloric acid, pepsin, mucus) for protein
digestion.
Pepsin breaks down proteins into peptides.

❖ Small Intestine
➢ Structure: Long, coiled tube (~6 meters) with three sections:
duodenum, jejunum, ileum. Inner walls have villi and microvilli
to increase surface area for absorption.

➢ Function:
Duodenum: Receives bile (from liver) and enzymes (from pancreas)
for digestion.
Jejunum: Absorbs nutrients (proteins, fats, carbohydrates).
Ileum: Absorbs vitamins, bile salts, and remaining nutrients.
❖ Large Intestine (Colon)
➢ Structure: Wider but shorter (~1.5 meters), divided into cecum,
ascending, transverse, descending, sigmoid colon, rectum.

➢ Function:
Absorbs water and electrolytes.
Forms and stores feces.
Houses gut bacteria that produce vitamins (B, K).

❖ Rectum & Anus


➢ Structure: The rectum is the final section of the large intestine;
the anus has sphincters controlling waste expulsion.

➢ Function:
Stores and expels feces.
Anal sphincters regulate defecation.

❖ Accessory Digestive Organs


These organs aid digestion but do not process food directly.

1. Salivary Glands
Produce saliva, which contains amylase to start carbohydrate
digestion.
Lubricates food for easier swallowing.
2. Liver
Produces bile, which emulsifies fats.
Detoxifies harmful substances.
Stores glycogen, vitamins, and minerals.

3. Gallbladder
Stores and releases bile into the duodenum for fat digestion.

4. Pancreas
An elongated organ behind the stomach with exocrine (digestive) and
endocrine (hormonal) functions.

Process of Digestion and Absorption


The process of digestion and absorption involves breaking down food
into smaller molecules and absorbing nutrients into the bloodstream
for energy and growth. It occurs in the digestive system, which
includes the mouth, stomach, intestines, and accessory organs.

1. Ingestion (Eating)

Food enters the mouth, where mechanical digestion (chewing) and


chemical digestion (enzymes in saliva) begin breaking it down.
2. Digestion (Breaking Down Food)

Mouth: Saliva contains amylase, which starts breaking down


carbohydrates.

Stomach: Gastric juices, including hydrochloric acid and pepsin,


digest proteins.

Small Intestine: Enzymes from the pancreas and bile from the liver
further digest proteins, fats, and carbohydrates.

3. Absorption (Nutrient Uptake)


Mostly occurs in the small intestine.
Nutrients like glucose, amino acids, and fatty acids pass through the
intestinal walls into the bloodstream.
The large intestine absorbs water, minerals, and vitamins.

4. Elimination (Excretion of Waste)


Undigested food and waste products form feces, which are expelled
through the rectum.

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