digestive system purpose
chemically break down large food molecules into smaller molecules that can be used by cells
the main macronutrients in food/drink
carbohydrates (polysaccharides)
proteins (amino acids)
fats (fatty acids and triglycerides)
what happens to each macronutrient
broken down with specific enzymes in specific locations during digestion
carbohydrate breakdown
proteins
fats
pancreatic lipase (small intestine) -fatty acids and glycerol
products resulting from the process of digestion
glucose
AAs
glycerol
fatty acids
glucose function
energy used to produce ATP via glycolysis and mitochondrial respiration
AA function
-excess use
used to construct proteins
excess
-can be used to synthesize pyruvate and acetyl CoA, which can be used for mitochondrial respiration
glycerol and fatty acids function
can be converted to pyruvate and acetyl CoA for mitochondrial respiration
digestion areas
mouth pharynx esophagus stomach small intestine large intestine (colon) pancreas liver
mouth
chewing
-breaks food into smaller particles so that chemical digestion can occur faster
salivary glands
-secrete mucous and enzymes that assist with digestion
tongue
-muscular and can move
-pushed food to back of mouth where it is swallowed
salivary glands
salivary amylase
-breaks starch (polysaccharide) down to maltose (disaccharide)
HCO3- ions in saliva
-act as buffer
-maintain a pH between 6.5-7.5
mucous
-lubricates and helps hold chewed food together in a clump called a bolus
pharynx
respiratory and digestive passages meet in the pharynx
separate posterior to the pharynx to form the esophagus (leads to the stomach) and trachea (leads to the lungs)
swallowing is accomplished by reflexes that close the opening to the trachea (via the epiglottis)
esophagus
-peristalsis
rhythmic contractions that move food from the mouth down to the stomach (and within the GI tract)
peristalsis
important mechanism because it ensures that you can eat and drink regardless of your body position or environment
when lying down, inverted, or in reduced gravity, the contractions associated with peristalsis are stronger and more rhythmic to push the bolus down to the stomach
stomach parts
upper sphincter
lower sphincter
gastric glands
muscular walls
upper sphincter
lets food in
called the lower esophageal or cardiac sphincter
lower sphincter
lets food out
called the pyloric sphincter
gastric glands
-produce
produce secretions called gastric juice
gastric juice composition
pepsiongen and HCl
pepsinogen
converted to pepsin, which digests specific proteins
production is stimulated by the presence of gastrin in the blood
HCL
functions -converts pepsinogen to pepsin -dissolves food -kills microorganisms maintains a pH in the stomach of approximately 2.0
seeing, smelling, tasting, or thinking about food result
can result in the secretion of gastric juice (via the release of gastrin in the blood)