How do we get from this…
…to this.
Digestive System Parts Mouth – chewing, lubrication, digestion Pharynx and Esophagus - swallowing Stomach - some digestion Small intestine – most digestion and absorption (of water and nutrients) Large intestine – some absorption Colon and Rectum - packaging Liver and Gall Bladder - produces bile - aids in fat digestion Pancreas - produces many digestive enzymes
Food Processing
Most food consists of what macromolecules? Carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins Why is food chemically broken down? The macromolecules are too large to pass through cell membranes They must be broken down into monomers, so that the organism can make their own polymers
Human Digestion System
Human Digestion: Mouth At sight or smell of food, salivary glands secrete saliva On part helps protect & lubricate lining of mouth Antibacterial agents – help prevent us from getting sick Amylase (enzyme) to begin digesting starch Why do you chew your food? Easier to swallow Expose more surface area to enzymes Tongue pushes mass of food (bolus) to back of oral cavity & into pharynx
Human Digestion: the epiglottis How does the epiglottis prevent food from moving into the trachea?
Human Digestion: into the esophagus
Heartburn – nothing to do with your heart
- This organ is a stretchy sack shaped like the letter J. Has lots of fold inside. - It has three important jobs: temporarily stores the food you've eaten breaks down the food into a liquid mixture (called CHYME) Begins protein digestion by gastric juices The Stomach
Inside the Stomach
Small intestine Long, narrow, intricately folded and twisted compartment of the digestive tube. All chemical digestion is completed and nutrients are absorbed through the villi of the lining
Almost 90% of our daily fluid intake is absorbed in the small intestine. Villi - increase the surface area of the small intestines, thus providing better absorption of materials
Human Digestion: small intestine Protein digestion Pancreas and small intestine secretes enzymes that break polymer into monomers (amino acids) Fat digestion Liver and gall bladder secrete enzymes to help break down fat. Nucleic acid digestion Pancreas and small intestine secrete enzymes which breakdown DNA & RNA polymers into Nitrogenous bases, sugars, phosphates
Human Digestion: small intestine Lipid digestion Lipids reach stomach almost completely undigested Why? Fats are hydrophobic Bile salts from gallbladder coat tiny fat droplets that keep them separated from each other Why is the separation of fats into small droplets beneficial for digestion? More surface area is exposed, which allows the enzyme to breakdown the fats quickly
Human Digestion: small intestine
Capillaries that drain away from the small intestine converge into larger blood vessels and eventually into a main vessel that leads directly to liver Converts many of nutrients into new substances the body needs Liver removes excess glucose and stores it as? Glycogen in liver cells Blood is then transported to heart, which pumps blood and nutrients to all parts of the body
Human Digestion: large intestine Colon absorbs water –approximately 90% of the 7 liters of fluid that enters the canal a day are reclaimed (most in small intestine) Remains of undigested food become more solid as water is absorbed Feces Consists mainly of plant fibers and bacteria Diarrhea occurs when the colon is irritated and is less effective at reclaiming water Constipation occurs when muscle contractions move the feces too slowly Colon reabsorbs too much water and feces becomes too compacted Diet low in plant fiber or lack of exercise
Human Digestion: large intestine
Nutrition There are 3 needs which demand a healthy diet Fuel to power our bodies Organic raw materials needed to make our own molecules Essential nutrients that we cannot make ourselves and must obtain in a prefabricated form
So, what happens when something harmful gets past all the acids and enzymes?? You would think with a pH of 0 and nasty enzymes floating around, your stomach would kill anything you swallow. This is not the case. Some bacteria and protists can survive your stomach’s defenses and cause you misery or worse!! Ex: Salmonella, E.coli, Giardia, campylobacter, amoebic dysentery, botulism, and listeria are a few.
Digestive Homeostasis Disorders ULCERS – erosion of the surface of the digestive canal
APPENDICITIS – an inflammation of the appendix due to infection
Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Is an inflammation of the small intestine, large intestine, and/or the colon. Can have a variety of causes including Crohn’s and Celiac Diseases Produces constipation, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, skin rashes, weight loss or gain, impaired nutrient absorption and a variety of other symptoms.
Diabetes Disease in which the pancreas does not produce enough insulin Blood sugar is too high Can take insulin injections
Sugar Regulation in blood Body regulates amount of blood sugar using hormones Insulin--converts sugar into glycogen (how animals store glucose) Glucagon--converts glycogen into sugar Overview - digestion Overview - digestion