DIGESTION

WHAT IS DIGESTIVE SYSTEM?
• Biomacromolecules which we consume in our food are not directly utilised by

our body in its original form.
• Thus, they are subjected to a process called digestion and the system that
helps in complete process of digestion by mechanical and biochemical
methods is called digestive system.
WHAT IS DIGESTIVE SYSTEM?
• The human digestive system consists of various parts (organs and glands) that
are concerned with the uptake, digestion and elimination of indigestible
remains of food from the body.
ALIMENTARY CANNEL
Human alimentary canal and its associated glands are shown in the figure below
• The alimentary canal in human beings is a long tube (about 8 to 10 metres in
lenge which begins with an anterior opening i.e, mouth and ends posteriorly
through the and The various parts associated with the alimentary canal are as
follows:
1. Mouth
2. Vestibule
3. Buccal Cavity
ALIMENTARY CANNEL
1. Mouth
It is a transverse slit bounded by two soft,
movable lips which are covered with skin on
the outer side and lined with mucous
membrane on the inner side.
ALIMENTARY CANNEL
2. Vestibule
Mouth mainly leads to vestibule
which is a narrow space enclosed
between the lips and cheeks
externally and the gums and teeth
internally. Its lining contains mucous
glands.
ALIMENTARY CANNEL
3. Buccal Cavity
It is bounded by lips and cheeks. It contains teeth, tongue
and salivary glands. Mouth (buccal) passes through both
the jaws. The uppermost portion of the buccal (mouth)
cavit is called palate. The upper and lower jaws of the
buccal cavity consist of two separate sequences of teeth.
ALIMENTARY CANNEL
• In human beings, the number of teeth present is 32, 16 teeth present in each
jaw. The half teeth of the jaw is towards left while the rest half is towards
right. Arrangement of these teeth include two incisors, one canine, two
premolars and three molars on each side (half).
• Each of the tooth is specialised to perform a particular function. The main

function of teeth is to perform physical digestion.
•
ALIMENTARY CANNEL
• Incisors are outer mostly forward,
flatten and extremely sharp, which
help in biting or cutting the food.
• Canines are sharply pointed which
crack and split or tear the food.
• Premolars and molars, crush, grind
and chew food smoothly.
PHARYNX & OESOPHAGUS
STOMACH
• It is the widest organ and the most dilated organ of the
alimentary canal. The stomach is J-shaped organ which
churns, breaks up food and mix the pieces with gastric
juice (include enzymes like renin, pepsin and HCl).
• The inner lining of stomach secretes various components

like mucous, hydrochloric acil and digestive juices. The
mucous lining of stomach protects it from the acidic
environment and allow it to work firmly.
STOMACH
STOMACH
• Stomach has three major parts as given below Cardiac stomach, the upper
portion into which the oesophagus opens.
• Fundic stomach, the middle portion.
• Pyrolic stomach, the lower portion which opens into the first part of small
intestine, i.e., duodenum. The terminal pyrolus part of stomach (i.e., opening
of stomach into duodenum) is guarded by a pyrolic sphincter.
FUNCTIONS OF STOMACH
• (i) It acts as a short term reservoir of food.
• (ii) Food become liquified in the stomach before being released into the small
intestine.
INTESTINE
• Small Intestine It is the longest part of the alimentary canal. it is about 6
metres long. it is divisible into three main parts as Duodenum it is U-shaped,
about 25 cm long and is the widest part of the small intestine.
• i) Jejunum it has a diameter of about 4 cm. It is the middle part of the small
intestine and is about 2.5 metres long.
• (ii) Ileum It is the last part with diameter around 3.5 cm. Its wall is thinner
than that of the jejunum. It is the longest part of small intestine. Ileum opens
into the colon of large intestine
INTESTINE
• intestine completes digestion
• components like proteins.
• carbohydrates, nucleic acid and
fats. Thus, acts as a major site in
digestion of food. It absorbs
nutrients into the blood and
lymph and also helps in
absorption of fats.
VILLI AND MICROVILLI
• The surface of small intestine incorporates important features that accounts
for its huge absorptive surface area.
• These are Villi The inner mucosa layer of small intestine has villi (about 1 mm
in height), covered with columnar epithelial cells.
• ~ Microvilli Numerous microscopic projections of microvilli are produced by
the cell lining of villi. These microvilli gives it a brush border appearance and
enormously increase the surface area of the intestine.
LARGE INTESTINE
• Large Intestine Although it is shorter, but its
diameter is larger than that of the small
intestine thus, it is known as large intestine. It is
about 1.5 metres long and is divisible into three
main part as
• (i) Caecum It is a small pouch like structure of
about 6 cm. It also has an outgrowth known as
vermiform appendix, which is slightly coiled
tube of about 8 cm long.
LARGE INTESTINE
• (i) Colon The caecum part leads into the colon. The colon has three main parts
as ascending, transverse and descending part.
• (i) Rectum The descending portion of colon leads into the rectum which is the
last part of the intestine. Rectum is of about 20 cm in length and opens into
the anus.
• Functions The absorption of water and nutrients and elimination of solid
wastes takes place mainly in large intestine.
DIGESTIVE GLANDS
To bring about the simplification of complex food
molecules chemically, secretion of digestive juices
take place by different glands.
THESE ARE AS FOLLOWS:
1. Salivary Glands
2. Gastric Glands
3. Liver
4. Pancreas
5. Intestinal Glands
SALIVARY GLANDS
• These are exocrine glands which
discharge their secretion into the oral
cavity. In man, there are three pairs of
salivary glands: parotid, sublingual and
submandibular glands.
• The fluids secreted by the salivary glands
constitute Saliva.
• It is acidic in nature
SALIVARY GLANDS
• Saliva is mainly a mixture of water,
electrolytes (Na*, K*, CF. HCO]) derived
from blood plasma, mucous, serum
fluids, and enzyme, i.e., salivary amylase
or ptyalin and lysozyme (antibacterial
agent).
GASTRIC GLANDS
• Glands of stomach are called gastric glands.
• These are numerous microscopic, tubular
glands formed by the epithelium of the
stomach.
• Gastric glands have three major types of cells
1. Chief Cells
2. Oxyntic Cells
3. Mucous Cells
GASTRIC GLANDS
• Chief cells or peptic cells which secrete inactive precursors of gastric
enzymes.
• Oxyntic cells secrete hydrochloric acid.
• Mucous cells or Goblet cells secrete alkaline null cells.
LIVER
• It is the largest gland of the body, that lies in
the upper right side of the abdominal cavity
• just below the diaphragm. It is heavier in males
(i.e., about 1.4-1.8 kg) as compared to females
(about 1.2-1.5 kg).
• Internally, the structural and functional units of
liver are the hepatic lobules (containing
hepatic cells arranged in the form of cords).
LIVER
• Each lobule is covered by a thin connective
tissue sheath called the Glisson's capsule. Fat
storage cells are also present in liver.
FUNCTION OF LIVER
• Production of Bile The liver secretes bile juice (hepatic bile pH 8.6). The bile
is stored in the gall bladder (gall bladder bile pH 7.6). About 500-1000 mL of
bile is secreted by liver in a day.
• Deamination : It is a process by which the amino group (-NH,) is removed

from the amino acids resulting in the production of ammonia, which is
converted into urea.
FUNCTION OF LIVER
• Excretion: Waste products and bile
pigments reach the duodenum
through bile and pass out with faeces.
• Glycogenolysis: it is the conversion of

glycogen into glucose by the liver cells
with the help of insulin secreted by
the pancreas.
FUNCTION OF LIVER
Haemopoiesis The process of formation of blood corpuscles is called
haemopoiesis.
Secretion of Heparin Liver also secretes heparin (an anticoagulant of blood).
Secretion of Enzymes Liver secretes certain enzymes which play an important

role in the metabolism of fats, proteins and carbohydrates in the body.
FUNCTION OF LIVER
Synthesis of Vitamin Liver synthesizes vitamin-A from ß-carotene.
Storage Liver stores glycogen, fats, vitamins (C and D), bile, blood, water, iron.
copper and potassium.
Gall Bladder: The small muscular sac-like organ situated just below the liver is
called gall bladder.. The duct of gall bladder (cystic duct) along with the hepatic
duct from a common bile duct that regulates the flow of bile into the gall bladder
from the liver. It stores bile temporarily and also helps in making bile more
concentrated but does not produce bile
PANANCREAS
It is a soft, lobuled, greyish-pink gland which
weighs about 60 grams. It is about 2-5 cm wide
and 12-15 cm long, located posterior to the
stomach in the abdominal cavity, i.... between
stomach and duodenum.
PANANCREAS
• As it is a mixed gland, the exocrine portion of pancreas secretes an alkaline
pancreatic juice (containing enzymes and hormones) while, the endocrine
part of the pancreas consists of group of cells known as islets of Langerhans,
which secrete hormones to be passed into the circulating blood, i.e., insulin
and glycogen.
INTESTINAL GLANDS
• Apart from the above mentioned glands involved in the process of digestion,
intestinal Blands are also present in the walls of smali intestine called
intestinal glands which secretes intestinal juice (containing lipolytic,
proteolytic and amylolytic enzymes) commonly called as succus entericus.
MECHANISM OF THE DIGESTION OF FOOD
MECHANISM OF THE DIGESTION OF FOOD

DIGESTION

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WHAT IS DIGESTIVE SYSTEM?

• Biomacromolecules which we consume in our food are not directly utilised by

• Each of the tooth is specialised to perform a particular function. The main

• The inner lining of stomach secretes various components

• Deamination : It is a process by which the amino group (-NH,) is removed

• Glycogenolysis: it is the conversion of

Secretion of Heparin Liver also secretes heparin (an anticoagulant of blood).

Secretion of Enzymes Liver secretes certain enzymes which play an important

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