Digestive System - Summary in English
The digestive system breaks down food into smaller molecules so the
body can absorb and use energy.
Types of Digestion:
1. Mechanical Digestion: Physically breaking down food, like
chewing or the action of bile. No enzymes are involved.
2. Chemical Digestion: Enzymes and water break food into its
basic components, such as carbohydrates, fats, and proteins.
Organs of the Digestive System:
1. Mouth: Begins digestion with teeth, tongue, and salivary glands.
Saliva contains amylase to start carbohydrate digestion.
2. Pharynx (Throat): Connects the mouth to the esophagus and
ensures food goes down the right path.
3. Esophagus: Uses peristaltic movements to push food into the
stomach.
4. Stomach: A J-shaped organ where both mechanical and
chemical digestion occur. The stomach produces gastric juices
for protein digestion.
5. Small Intestine: Divided into the duodenum (where digestion is
most intense), jejunum, and ileum. Enzymes like amylase and
lipase digest food, and nutrients are absorbed.
6. Large Intestine: Absorbs water, vitamins, and minerals. It
contains beneficial bacteria that produce vitamins B and K.
7. Anus: The final part of the digestive system where waste is
expelled.
Accessory Organs:
1. Salivary Glands: Produce saliva containing amylase for
carbohydrate digestion.
2. Liver: Produces bile, essential for fat digestion.
3. Gallbladder: Stores bile produced by the liver.
4. Pancreas: Produces digestive enzymes like amylase, lipase, and
proteases to break down food in the small intestine.
Hormonal and Nerve Control:
Vagus Nerve: Stimulates the release of gastric juices when food
is seen or chewed.
Gastrin: A hormone that stimulates the stomach to release
gastric juice.
Enterogastrin, Secretin, and Cholecystokinin: Hormones
released when food enters the small intestine, aiding in digestion
by stimulating the pancreas, liver, and gallbladder.
Digestion of Nutrients:
1. Carbohydrates: Begin digestion in the mouth and finish in the
small intestine.
2. Fats: Are digested chemically by bile and lipase in the small
intestine.
3. Proteins: Are digested first in the stomach, then in the small
intestine.
4. Nucleic Acids: Are digested in the small intestine by nucleases.
Absorption:
Nutrients like carbohydrates, fats, and proteins are absorbed after
digestion. Vitamins, minerals, and water are absorbed directly
without digestion. Most absorption occurs in the small intestine.
Disorders:
Gastritis: Inflammation of the stomach lining due to bacteria.
Ulcer: A result of untreated gastritis causing sores in the
stomach or intestines.
Reflux: When stomach acid backs up into the esophagus.
Jaundice: A condition caused by blocked bile ducts or liver
issues leading to yellow skin.
Cirrhosis: Liver damage due to alcohol, viruses, or other
factors, potentially leading to liver failure.