The Digestive System

Robby Ackles, Jalen Chuang, Miles Goodman

Primary Question:
How do our nutritional habits affect the way in
which our digestive system works (and how we
perform as a result?)
Write down your thoughts in your notebooks!

What is the Digestive System?

The digestive system is one of the main systems of the human
body and serves to perform the process of digestion, where food
is broken down into substances that can be used by the body.
Some of the primary organs it contains are as follows:

Mouth
Esophagus
Small Intestine

Liver
Stomach
Large Intestine

Some of the accessory organs it contains include the teeth,

tongue, salivary glands, pharynx, gallbladder, and pancreas.

What does Digestion do? (Step-By-Step)

Starts with mouth when food ingested at beginning of

digestive tract
Solid food broken down through chewing
Saliva then helps food transform to more digestible
substance
Substance travels down throat to esophagus
Stomach mixes, grinds substance to liquid or paste
Small intestine takes nutrients from liquid, inserts into
blood
Large intestine (colon) takes leftovers from digestive
system and turns it into feces

Endurance and the Digestive System

There are all kinds of aspects of the digestive system that are extremely significant
and delicate. Under stress, the digestive system has much more trouble processing
nutrients and can also require more nutrients overall. Therefore, it is very important
to incorporate a nutritious diet into your everyday life. Genetic and non-genetic
diseases can also cause the digestive system to act similarly to as if it is under stress.

Focus: Celiac Disease & Endurance

Celiac disease is a significant example of a way in which a disease in
the digestive system can affect endurance. Celiac disease stems from
lactose intolerance.
The importance of diagnosing Celiac disease is becoming increasingly prevalent in
our society, as the symptoms from it make it difficult for anyone who has it to be
active and especially for athletes significantly affects their everyday lives.

Celiac Disease

Negative reaction by body to consuming

gluten (protein in wheat, barley, etc.)
Cannot be cured chronic
Symptoms include diarrhea, bloating, gas,
fatigue, anemia (lack of red blood cells)
and/or osteoporosis (reduced bone mass)
While it cannot be treated, a strict
gluten-free diet can help to alleviate pain
and other symptoms

Genetics

Hereditary

Possible properties include things about our

digestive system

how we inherit properties from our parents

strength of system

Controlled by many genes in cells

Mutations in genes related to digestive system
can cause diseases

Celiac disease
DQ2 & DQ8 genes
Gluten intolerance

The 6 Primary
Digestive Processes

Ingestion

Process in which food is... (in this order)

Taken into mouth

Chewed
Salivated
Swallowed

Consists of mouth, teeth, saliva, etc.

Serves to break up food and other substances into smaller pieces,
and lubricate for easier passage down GI tract

Secretion

Release of fluids and particles (i.e., water, acid, buffers, enzymes) into area of
digestive tract after being swallowed
Process takes place within walls of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and accessory
organs, during other processes
Involves secretion of substances essential for digestion, hence the name

Mixture/Propulsion of Fluids

Swallowing of food example of food movement being dependent on peristalsis

Peristalsis - series of wave-like muscle contractions that moves food to different
processing stations in the digestive tract
Propulsion/movement of food relies heavily (if not completely) on the digestive
tract

Digestion

Process that most organs contribute to, from mouth to stomach

Mechanical digestion

Process of food preparation for food to endure further degradation by enzymes

Enzyme - catalyst that helps chemical reactions occur
Examples include:
mixing of food in mouth by tongue
churning of food in stomach
segmentation in small intestine

Chemical digestion

Sequence of steps where large food molecules are broken down by enzymes
Process occurs in stomach

Nutrient Absorption

Process in which nutrients and energy is absorbed into the bloodstream or cells
Active during many parts of the digestive system
Including nutrients (molecules) like:

Fats
Carbohydrates
Sugar
Starch
Fiber
Proteins
Amino acids

Cannot digest some molecules

Cellulose - lack appropriate enzymes for breakdown

Excretion of Wastes

Removal of indigestible particles from GI tract

Takes place on a periodical/consistent basis to maintain

normal levels in the body

takes form of urine (filtered from the blood) or feces

Timing of defecation controlled by conscious part of brain

Similar to other processes, excretion is essential to health of

all organisms

Thank you!
Information Sources:

Mesa Community College

University of Babylon
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney
Diseases - National Institute of Health

Video Contributions:
A special thanks to our interviewees...

Dr. Jason Ken Hou, M.D., M.S. (Baylor College of Medicine)

Jesse Fritsch (Professional Skater)
Talia Hassid, MPH (Celiac Disease Foundation

Image Sources:

KidsHealth
Google Images (Clip Art)

Time for the

activity!