Scribd
Upload
6 views3 pages

bio chap 1 part 2

Nutrition in human beings involves ingestion, digestion, absorption, assimilation, and egestion through the alimentary canal, which includes the mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, rectum, and anus. The process begins in the mouth with the breakdown of food by teeth and saliva, continues through the esophagus and stomach for further digestion, and primarily occurs in the small intestine where nutrients are absorbed. The remaining waste is processed in the large intestine before being eliminated from the body.

Uploaded by

Abhishek Ankit
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
6 views3 pages

bio chap 1 part 2

Nutrition in human beings involves ingestion, digestion, absorption, assimilation, and egestion through the alimentary canal, which includes the mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, rectum, and anus. The process begins in the mouth with the breakdown of food by teeth and saliva, continues through the esophagus and stomach for further digestion, and primarily occurs in the small intestine where nutrients are absorbed. The remaining waste is processed in the large intestine before being eliminated from the body.

Uploaded by

Abhishek Ankit
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 3

Nutrition in Human Beings

Fig. : Human alimentary canal

Nutrition in Human Beings is a complex process that involves


ingestion, digestion, absorption, assimilation, and egestion. It takes place
through the alimentary canal, a long muscular tube extending from the
mouth to the anus. This canal breaks down food, absorbs nutrients, and
eliminates waste, with main parts including the mouth, esophagus,
stomach, small intestine, large intestine, rectum, and anus.

1. Mouth: The mouth is the starting point of digestion. Teeth crush the
food, and saliva from salivary glands moistens it for easy swallowing.
Saliva contains an enzyme called salivary amylase, that breaks down
starch into simple sugar. The tongue mixes the food with saliva and helps
push it into the esophagus.
2. Esophagus: The esophagus is a muscular tube that
connects the mouth to the stomach. It pushes food down using
peristaltic movements.

3. Stomach: The stomach is a muscular organ that temporarily stores


and digests food. It mixes food with digestive juices secreted by gastric
glands—hydrochloric acid, pepsin, and mucus. Hydrochloric acid creates
an acidic environment that helps pepsin work and also kills germs, while
mucus protects the stomach . A sphincter controls the release of food into
the small intestine.

4. Small Intestine:
o It is the longest part of the alimentary canal. And is ighly coiled to fit
in a abdominal cavity. It's length varies based on the animal’s diet.:

 Herbivores (e.g., cow) have a longer small intestine for cellulose


digestion.

 Carnivores (e.g., tiger) have a shorter small intestine as meat is


easier to digest.

o Function: It is the main site for complete digestion of carbohydrates,


proteins, and fats. And bsorption of digested nutrients.

o It recieves digestive secretions from the liver, pancreas, and its own
intestinal glands.

 Liver secretes bile juice that Neutralizes acidic food coming from
the stomach and emulsifies fats (breaks large fat globules into
smaller ones).

 Pancreas secretes pancreatic juice that contains enzymes like


trypsin (digests proteins) and lipase (digests fats).

 Intestinal glands secrete intestinal juice that contains enzymes


that convert:

 Proteins → Amino acids

 Carbohydrates → Glucose

 Fats → Fatty acids and glycerol

o Absorption: Its inner lining has villi (finger-like projections) which


increase surface area for absorption. These villi are rich in blood
vessels to transport absorbed nutrients to all parts of the body. The
unabsorbed food moves to the large intestine, where excess water is
absorbed before the waste is eliminated from the body through the
anus. The exit of this waste material is regulated by the anal
sphincter and this process is called egestion.

You might also like

pFad - Phonifier reborn

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.

Note: This service is not intended for secure transactions such as banking, social media, email, or purchasing. Use at your own risk. We assume no liability whatsoever for broken pages.


Alternative Proxies:

Alternative Proxy

pFad Proxy

pFad v3 Proxy

pFad v4 Proxy