digestive

system
by Group 4 (Dwyane,
Sapphire,
Kenshin, and Queen)
 digestive
System
The digestive system is a group if
organs working together to
convert food into energy and
nutrients needed by the body.
 In the mouth enzymes, such as salivary
amylase, begin breaking down
carbohydrates into shorter chains of simple
sugars. From the mouth, food passes
through a long tube inside the body known
as the alimentary canal or the
gastrointestinal tract. The parts that
compose the alimentary canal are the oral
cavity, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, small
digestive
system
processes
 ingestion

refers to the taking in of food

through the oral cavity (mouth).
 secretion
the human digestive system secretes
7 liters of fluids which assist in
digestion. Saliva, for example,
contains salivary amylase an
enzyme which helps break down
large complex chains of
carbohydrates into short simple
 secretion
the stomach secretes hydrochloric
acid (gastric acid) which
significantly helps tear ingested food
further into simpler molecular
components. It also kills bacteria
present in food.
 secretion
Bile is another acid which helps the
small intestine absorb fats and fat-
soluble vitamins. Bile is secreted in
the liver and stored in the
gallbladder.
 mixing and
movement
Three processes take place to mix
and move food. By swallowing,
skeletal muscles of the mouth,
tongue, and pharynx push the food
down out of the mouth and into the
esophagus.
 mixing and
movement
Through peristalsis, muscles of the
gastrointestinal tract contract and
relax in wave-like motion to move
food down into the esophagus,
stomach and intestines.
 mixing and
movement
Through segmentation, intestines
squeeze food like a hand squeezing
toothpaste out of a tube, and this
has the consequent effect of moving
food and nutrients through the
alimentary canal.
 digestion
it breaks down food into its
chemical components and into
molecular forms that can be
absorbed by cells.
 digestion
Mechanical digestion takes place in
the mouth, stomach, and intestines
where food is physically broke into
smaller particles. While mechanical
digestion is taking place, chemical
digestion also takes place.
 digestion
Bile, which is supplied by the liver
and stored in the gallbladder,
helps breakdown fats. Pancreatic
juices, which is secreted by the
pancreas, breakdown lipids,
carbohydrates, proteins, and
 absorption
when food has been transformed by
digestion into molecular forms that can
be taken in by the cells of the body,
absorption begins. It begins in the
stomach where water and alcohol are
quickly absorbed into the bloodstream.
 absorption
Much absorption takes place through
the walls of the small intestine. Blood
and lymphatic vessels in the small
intestine collect nutrients and
transport them to the rest of the body.
Absorption of water, vitamin B, and
vitamin K takes place in the large
 excretion
the final stage of digestion is
defecation, the excretion of wastes.
Defecation removes indigestible
matter from the body so that they
do not accumulate in the gut.
 Different organs contribute to the
digestive system with each organ
performing specific set of functions.
The general processes that take place
in the digestive system are ingestion,
secretion, mixing and movement,
digestion, absorption, and finally,
excretion.
accesory organs in
digestion
 Mouth Food enters the digestive system first through the
mouth. Teeth, which are made from dentin and covered by
enamel, cut and grind food into smaller chunks. Tongue is
made from many layers of small muscles. Through its papillae,
it grips food and pushes it down the throat for swallowing. The
tongue also contains taste buds which send information about
the food to the brain, and this information prepares other
parts of the body for digestion. Salivary glands are another
accessory organ that moistens food and begins its digestion.
Saliva also lubricates food, making it easier for food to pass
through the mouth, pharynx, and esophagus.
 Pharynx It is the funnel-shaped organ at the
posterior part of the mouth. It is the organ
through which chewed food is transported
from the mouth to the esophagus. The
pharynx plays a role both in digestion and
respiration. Because of this dual role, it has an
epiglottis acting as a switch that routes food
to the esophagus and air to the lungs.
 Esophagus A muscular tube connecting the
pharynx to the stomach. Coming from the
mouth, food passes through this tube and
into the stomach. At the end of the
esophagus is a muscular ring called
esophageal sphincter or cardiac sphincter. Its
purpose is to prevent food in the stomach
from returning back into the lower
esophagus.
 The stomach is a muscular sac
that acts as the storage tank for
food so that the human body
can digest large meals properly.
It secretes hydrochloric acid
and other digestive enzymes
which help speed up the
conversion of food into
biomolecules and nutrients that
can be absorbed by cells
 Small intestine it is a long and
thin tube about 1 inch in diameter
and 10 feet long. It is located
below the stomach and takes up
much of the space in the
abdominal cavity. It is coiled. its
inside surface has ridges and
folds which increase the
absorbing surface of the small
intestine. When food leaves the
small intestine, around 90% of its
original nutrients have been
extracted and absorbed into the
Liver and gallbladder The liver
weighs about 3 lbs and is the
second largest organ of the human
body. The lIver plays many
functions, but in relation to
digestion, Its main role is to
produce bile. The gallbladder is a
pear-shaped organ located close to
the liver and stores the bile the
latter produces. It also recycles
excess bile from the smal intestine
so that it can be reused to digest
Pancreas it is a gland located
below and to the posterior part of
the stomach. It is about 6 inches
long with its “head" connected to
the duodenum and its tail pointing
to the left of the abdominal cavity.
The pancreas secretes digestive
enzymes which are transported to
the small intestine to assist in the
chemical digestion of food .
The large intestine is a long thick
tube around 2.5 inches in
diameter and 5 feet in length. It
wraps around the lateral sides of
small intestines. It absorbs water
and is inhabited by a large
population of bacteria that help
break down wastes and extract
whatever nutrients are still left in
the digested food. Towards the
postenor part of the large
intestine tis The anal canal where
rectum
stores and excretes feces.

anus
is the opening for eliminating
feces.