DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
8 and 9 April 2024
Dear Gr 9,
You will need to copy these slides into your Natural Science Biology book as part of our
Digestive system work. You will see that I have highlighted the 4 key questions on the slides so
that you know exactly what to copy in your workbook.
When we study the 7 body systems, for each one we focus on these 4 questions:
• Function of the digestive system
• Main process in the digestive system
• Main components/organs in the digestive system
• Health issues of the digestive system
This is an image of my book to give you an
idea of the layout and 4 key questions.
Everything in my book is on these slides,
word for word. You can see:
The digestive system.
- Function
- Main process
- Main components/organs
- Health issues
Please don’t try to squeeze the content in
you can use more than one page (I am
aware that I write very small ) or even
the back of the sheet we pasted in
regarding the digestive system.
Please make sure that this is done by 10
April. We will then discuss and explain in
class to complete the activity on the
digestive system. Thank you!
Function:
The digestive system breaks
down food into dissolved nutrients
that are absorbed into the
bloodstream and transported to
cells throughout the body.
The human digestive system
(just for clarification no need to copy)
Textbook
p. 15-20
Main process:
1. INGESTION:
The first step in this process is ingestion: taking in food through the mouth by eating or
drinking.
2. DIGESTION:
Large insoluble food particles are broken down into smaller pieces.
Mechanical/ physical digestion: Mouth and stomach (chewing, churning, grinding and
crushing)
Chemical digestion (enzymes): In the mouth, enzymes break down starch. When you
swallow the food, it moves down a tube called the esophagus into your stomach. In the
stomach and small intestine, it is further digested by enzymes.
3. ABSORPTION:
Digested/ soluble nutrients move through the walls of the small intestine to the bloodstream.
The blood then transports it to all cells in the body where it is used to make energy needed
for growing and living.
D. EGESTION AND ELIMINATION (defecation):
Unwanted and undigested particles pass through the digestive tract as faeces and are
removed from your body through an opening at the end of the digestive system, the anus.
Definitions Explained: Food can be digested by a
(just for clarification no need to copy) combination of two methods –
mechanical digestion and
chemical digestion
Peristalses
In mechanical digestion, food is
physically broken down into smaller
fragments via the acts of chewing
(mouth), churning (stomach) and
segmentation (small intestine)
In chemical digestion, food is broken
down by the action of chemical
The progressive wave of contraction
agents (such as enzymes, acids and
and relaxation of a tubular muscular
bile)
system, especially the alimentary
canal, by which the contents are Bolus- a small rounded mass of
forced through the system. chewed food.
Main components/ organs in the digestive system (2 main groups)
Digestive tract:
A long hollow duct through which the food moves. It Supporting organs:
has 2 openings; mouth on the one side, anus on the Helps the digestive tract to function.
other side. 1. Teeth and tongue: Even though they form part
1. Mouth: Food enters; ingestion. of the mouth, they are seen as support organs.
Digestion starts here.
- Teeth mechanical digestion. 2. Liver: Largest organ in the body. Produces
- Tongue forms bolus, taste and swallow. bile; a yellow-green liquid stored in
- Salivary glands enzymes for chemical digestion, gallbladder. Bile helps digest fatty foods.
moistens bolus, make swallowing easier.
2. Oesophagus: Also called gullet, moves food from 3. Gallbladder: Temporarily stores bile.
mouth to stomach. (peristalsis) No digestion.
3. Stomach: Food stays in stomach for 2 hours. 4. Pancreas: Produces gastric juices with
- Mechanical digestion; stomach wall muscles mix, digestive enzymes to break down starch,
grind, contract and pulverize food. protein, carbohydrates, fats and oils.
- Chemical digestion; stomach wall secretes
enzymes and hydrochloric acid.
Absorbs water, alcohol and steroids.
Sphincter at the end of stomach lets food through to
intestines.
Continues on next slide…
Main components/ organs in the digestive system (2 main groups)
Digestive tract continued…
4. Small intestine: 6m long. Most digestion and
absorption take place here.
- Chemical digestion through enzymes, glands in
the wall of the small intestine.
Soluble food molecules move through the wall of the
small intestine and are absorbed into the
bloodstream, and transported to cells.
5. Large intestine: 1,5 m long. 70 mm in diameter.
Consists of 4 parts=
- Caecum; Large intestine joins small intestine.
- Colon; Π
- Rectum; Last part of colon
- Anus; faeces leaves the body, also called
egestion, excretion or defecation.
No digestion takes place here.
Absorption of water, mineral salts and certain
vitamins.
(just for clarification no need to copy) (Enzymes)
Nutrients
Health issues of digestive system
Common diseases of the digestive system include :
Only copy the name of the disease and that which is underlined. Short and sweet.
Ulcers: Sometimes open sores or ulcers develop on the lining of the mouth,
oesophagus, stomach or upper portions of the small intestine. Ulcers can be
very painful. They are generally caused by bacterial infections and some
medications.
Anorexia nervosa: This is one of many eating disorders. People who suffer from
this eating disorder (which affects the mind) have an abnormal fear of gaining
weight and therefore starve themselves on purpose. This can lead to many
health issues such as bone thinning, kidney damage, heart problems and even
death.
Diarrhoea: Someone who passes very frequent, loose, watery stools has
diarrhoea. Many diseases cause undigested food to pass through the large
intestines too quickly for water to be absorbed and cause diarrhoea. It can be
a viral infection. Cholera is a bacterial infection which causes diarrhoea.
Liver cirrhosis: This disease slowly replaces healthy liver tissue with scar tissue/
damaged liver cells and eventually prevents the liver from functioning
properly. Alcohol abuse and fatty liver caused by obesity and diabetes are the
most common causes of liver cirrhosis.
Ulcers
Anorexia nervosa
Diarrhoea
Liver cirrhosis
