The Digestive System

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Lions are considered the king of the jungle, they are considered carnivores since they basically eat meat. They have incisors which are designed for cutting and shredding meat. These sharp looking vampire style teeth does not only belong to lions these can also be found in humans. Thats why we can also enjoy steak, venison, chicken and many other meat foods. What are incisors? How are they being used? What happens to the food that we eat? How do we get the vitamins from food? All of these and more will be answered in this chapter The Digestive System. Objectives: Describe the overall functions of the digestive system and differentiate between organs of the alimentary canal (GI tract) and accessory digestive organs. Define and describe the process of mechanical and chemical digestion in the mouth and in the stomach. Be able to describe the process/actions of digestion occurring in each organ/section of the GI tract. Describe the process of absorption of digested food in the duodenum. Become familiar with common GI Diseases and how to treat them.

Definition:

DIGESTIVE SYSTEM - the system by which ingested food is acted upon by physical and chemical means to provide the body with absorbable nutrients and to excrete waste products; in mammals the system includes the alimentary canal extending from the mouth to the anus, and the hormones and enzymes assisting in digestion.

Functions: 1. Ingestion 2. Digestion Phases: o Mechanical Phase -chewing, cutting and grinding of food (mastication) use of teeth, tongue and the contraction of the esophagus, stomach and small intestine o Chemical Phase -action of enzymes 3. Absorption 4. Nourishment 5. Elimination Overview Organs 2 groups 1. Alimentary Canal (gastrointestinal or GI Tract) Continuous tube, open at both ends (mouth & anus) Digests food break down into smaller parts Absorbs food lumen blood or lymph Mouth pharynx esophagus stomach small intestines large intestine 2. Accessory Digestive Organs Teeth, tongue, gall bladder Glands salivary glands, liver pancreas

Digestive Processes 6 Activities 1) Ingestion talking in food 2) Propulsion moving food through alimentary canal i. Swallowing leads to peristalsis (involuntary) squeezes food through canal 3) Mechanical Digestion Physically prepare food for chemical digestion i. Chewing with teeth ii. Mixing with saliva by tongue iii. Mixing in stomach iv. Segmentation constrictions mix food with juices & increase absorption rate 4) Chemical digestion i. Enzymes break down food to more basic components 5) Absorption of monomers i. Digested food absorbed into blood or lymph 6) Defecation - elimination of indigestible substances Three Phases of Deglutition 1. Voluntary mass of food is formed in the mouth. The bolus is pushed by the tongue against the hard palate, forcing the bolus toward the posterior part of the mouth. 2. Pharyngeal reflex that is initiated when a bolus of food stimulates the receptors in the oropharynx. 3. Esophageal 5 to 8 sec. and is responsible for moving food from the pharynx to the stomach. Functional Anatomy A. Mouth (oral or buccal cavity) Lined w/stratified squamous epithelial Vestibule - area between teeth & lips Oral Cavity Proper - area contained by teeth & gums Palate (roof of mouth) 1. Hard palate bone underneath 2. Soft palate mostly muscle Uvula - closes off nasopharynx during swallowing Function ingestion

B. Tongue covered with papillae (mucosal projections) that house taste buds Lots of muscle Functions 1. Mix food with saliva 2. Initiate swallowing (deglutition)

C. Salivary Glands - produce saliva Cleanses mouth Dissolves food chemicals to be tasted via enzymes (particularly starch) Moistens food, aids in forming bolus Types o Intrinsic salivary glands- scattered throughout oral cavity o Extrinsic salivary glands - 3 glands with ducts that lead to mouth a. Parotid b. Submandibular c. Sublingual 2. 2 types of secretory cells a. Serous - enzymes, ions, Lysozyme (kill bacteria) b. Mucous mucus D. Teeth - mechanical digestion (chewing = mastication) Deciduous teeth milk/baby teeth Permanent teeth o Incisors o Canine o Premolars (bicuspids) o Molars E. Pharynx (just Oropharynx & Laryngopharynx) - food passage Two layers of skeletal muscles o Inner longitudinal muscle (elevator muscle) o Outer circular muscle (constrictor) F. Esophagus Approximately 25cm long Moves food from the throat to the stomach Muscle movement called peristalsis G. Stomach Enlarged segment of the Digestive Tract in the left superior part of the abdomen Temporary Storage Chemically breaks it down into tiny pieces

Mixes food with digestive juices Acid in the stomach kills bacteria Small amount of absorption

H. Small Intestine Major digestive organ (most of chemical digestion & absorption) 3 major sections o Duodenum (retroperintoneal) - received ducts from liver & pancreas o Jejunum o Ileum - joins to large intestine atileocecal value Microscopic anatomy o Modifications for absorption (increase surface area) Plicae circulares (circular folds) are deep folds of mucosa & Submucosa Chyme is mixed with intestinal juice and movement slowed Villi - projections of mucosa; each contains capillary bed & lacteal Microvilli projections of mucosal cells (brush border); contain enzymes to digest food o Between villi are intestinal crypts Cells secrete intestinal juice (watery with mucus to carry nutrients being absorbed) H. Liver Gross Anatomy o 4 lobes (right, left, caudate, quadrate) o Hepatic artery & hepatic portal vein enter at porta hepatis o Bile leaves liver via ducts that fuse to form common hepatic duct Hepatocyte functions Produce bile Process nutrients Store fat soluble vitamins Detoxification Bile - contains bile salts, bile pigments, cholesterol, fats, phospholipids, electrolytes Bile salts are cholesterol derivates and emulsify fats o Break them up into small drops larger surface area, have efficient enzymes

I. Gall bladder stores and concentrates biles (reabsorbs H2O) Thin-walled muscular sac inferior to liver Contracts and expels bile to cystic duct which leads to bile duct Bile release o Cholecystokinin (CCK) released by small intestine when acidic chyme enters J. Pancreas - secretes pancreatic juice, goes into duodenum by pancreatic duct & accessory pancreatic duct o Secretory cells - acini or acinar cells Deep to stomach, mostly retroperitoneal Pancreatic juice o Mostly H2O, enzymes & electrolytes - HCO3 secreted by cells lining ducts o High pH neutralizes acidity of chyme o Enzymes released in inactive forms & activated in duodenum K. Large Intestine Major intestine o Cecum o Appendix o Colon: ascending, transverse, descending, sigmoid o Rectum o Anal Control Involuntary internal sphincter Voluntary external sphincter Digestive processes - reabsorbs H2O, electrolytes, vitamins made by bacterial flora o Elimination of waste Gastrocolic reflex - presence of food in stomach initiates peristalsis Defecation - rectum usually empty, but when stretched by feces defecation reflex initiated (internal sphincter relaxes, external sphincter voluntary) Summary

The Digestive System provides the body with water, electrolytes, and other nutrients. To do this, the digestive system is specialized to ingest food, propel it through the digestive tract, digest it absorb water, electrolytes and other nutrients from the lumen of the digestive tract. Once these useful substances are absorbed, they are transported to the circulatory system to cells where they are used. The undigested portion of the food is moved through the digestive tract and eliminated through the anus. Medical Fast Fact: Appendicitis It is an inflammation of the appendix, a 3 1/2-inch-long tube of tissue that extends from the large intestine. No one is absolutely certain what the function of the appendix is. One thing we do know: We can live without it, without apparent consequences. Appendicitis is a medical emergency that requires prompt surgery to remove the appendix. Left untreated, an inflamed appendix will eventually burst, or perforate, spilling infectious materials into the abdominal cavity. This can lead to peritonitis, a serious inflammation of the abdominal cavity's lining (the peritoneum) that can be fatal unless it is treated quickly with strong antibiotics. Appendicitis occurs when the appendix becomes blocked, often by stool, a foreign body, or cancer. Blockage may also occur from infection, since the appendix swells in response to any infection in the body. The classic symptoms of appendicitis include, dull pain near the navel or the upper abdomen that becomes sharp as it moves to the lower right abdomen. This is usually the first sign. Next is loss of appetite. Nausea and/or vomiting soon after abdominal pain begins. Abdominal swelling. Fever of 99-102 degrees Fahrenheit, and inability to pass gas. (http://www.webmd.com/digestivedisorders/digestive-diseases-appendicitis)

Activity (Digestive System) Name: ___________________________________________ Date: __________ Year & Section: ____________________________________ Score: _________ I. Label and briefly define the parts of the Digestive System.

II. Identify the following. 1. It is a series of hollow organs joined in a long, twisting tube from the mouth to the anus. Gastrointestinal Tract/Digestive Tract 2. It is the taking in of food. Ingestion 3. What is the other term for Elimination? Defecation 4. It is the breaking of covalent chemical bonds in organic molecules. Chemical Digestion 5. How long is the Alimentary Canal? 30 feet or 9 meters 6. What is the other name of lips? Labia 7. 8. Give two functions of tongue: a. Movement of Food b. Speech 9. How many teeth do we have in adults? 32 10. It is the alternate wave of contraction and relaxation to move the food down from the pharynx to the stomach. Peristalsis 11. What is the other term for swallowing? Deglutition

12. What phase of swallowing is when the mass of food is formed in the mouth? The bolus is pushed by the tongue against the hard palate, forcing the bolus toward the posterior part of the mouth. Voluntary 13. What do you call the acid which can be found in the stomach? Hydrochloric Acid 14. 16. What are the three regions of the small intestine? a. Duodenum b. Jejunum c. Ileum 17. What do you call the parts of the small intestine which increases its surface area for absorption? Villi 18. What do you call the largest internal organ of the body? Liver 19. It emulsifies fats. Bile 20. It stores bile from the liver. Gall Bladder 21. Give one compound that is produced by the Pancreas. Insulin 22. 25. Enumerate the four regions of the Large Intestine: a. Cecum b. Colon c. Rectum d. Anal Canal