The Digestive system Closely connected to the cardiovascular system.

Food is broken down into nutrients and transported via blood to the cells of the body where it is needed for their survival. Processes: Ingestion (Taking food into the body) Movement (Passage of food along the GIT) Digestion (Breakdown of food by mechanical and chemical processes) Absorption (Passage of digested food from the GIT into the CV and Lymph Sys) Defecation (Elimination of wastes) Bolus - The action of the tongue coupled with mastication forms the food within the oral cavity into a ball like structure Chyme - Foods that enter the stomach are mixed with digestive juices and become an acidic creamy, paste like substance called chyme.

Mouth: (Oral Cavity) is the starting point of the digestive system. Contains 32 teeth (2123 x 4) canines, incisors, pre molars and molars. The gums hold the teeth in position, and the roots of your teeth are embedded in your jaw bone. Blood vessels run through the mandible and up into the teeth supplying them with blood.

The tongue is made up of muscle tissue and is covered with a mucous membrane and taste buds. The taste buds send signals about the chemicals in the foods to the brain via attached nerves. Muscles attach the tongue to the cranium and a mucous membrane (lingual frenulum) on the underside attaches it to the floor of the mouth. Also found within this cavity are salivary glands. These are the first glands to secrete during the process of digestion. Saliva contains mucous (to moisten and aid swallowing) and the enzyme salivary amylase, which immediately begins breaking down carbs. -Sublingual Glands (under the tongue) -Submandibular Glands (below the mandible but inside the cavity) -Parotid Glands (inside the check below the ears). Pharynx & Oesophagus: The pharynx marks the beginning of the oesophagus. The oesophagus is a muscular tube joining the mouth with the stomach. A muscular action called peristalsis is what moves the bolus down through the oesophagus. The lining of the GIT contains muscular tissue, and it contracts, squeezing the bolus through the tube (toothpaste). When the bolus is moved to the bottom of the oesophagus, the cardiac sphincter opens to allow the bolus to enter the stomach. Stomach: Hollow organ made up of 4 different layers

- Serous Layer (covers most of the stomach) - Muscular Layer (3 layers involved in churning) - Submucosal Layer (connects muscular and mucosal layer) - Mucous Layer (protects the inner lining of the stomach) The muscular layer has 3 layers (longitudinal, circular and oblique) each of which run in different directions. They contract to allow the stomach to churn ingested food. Stomach has stretch receptors (in the wall of the stomach) that reach a point where they touch a nerve sending a signal to the brain sensing that the stomach is full. The lining of the stomach contains ridges called rugae, which provide more surface area. As the stomach fills, the rugae smooth out, allowing the stomach to expand. Just like the mouth and oesophagus a mucous membrane covers the inside of the stomach (continuous membrane for the whole GIT). The function of the mucous membrane is to protect digestive organs from being eaten away by strong acid (HCL). Gastric juice is secreted from millions of tiny gastric glands that are part of the mucosal lining of the digestive system. It contains HCL and pepsinogen which starts breaking down proteins into peptides. HCL kills bacteria present in food. It also helps break down connective tissue in meats. HCL also stimulates cells lining the stomach to secrete gastrin (hormone). This is absorbed through lining of the stomach into the capillaries then travels through bloodstream. It regulates the release of HCL, mucus and pepsinogen. The stomachs churning is part of physical / mechanical digestion but its chemical contribution is what really helps break down the food we eat. Making of chyme takes 2-6 hours and it then squirts into the duodenum through the pyloric sphincter. Duodenum: About 1 foot in length. It has glands in the walls that secrete mucus and bicarbonate to help neutralise the strong acids in the chyme. The cells in the wall of the duodenum also secrete digestive enzymes. Small Intestine (Jejunum and Ileum): By the time the chyme leaves the duodenum, its almost totally digested. Both the small intestine and the large intestine (Colon) are made up of 2 layers of muscle tissue (longitudinal and circular) and lined with mucosal tissue. Peristalsis moves the chyme into the small intestine. Throughout the 10 feet of small intestine are several million villi and microvilli which stretch along the mucosal lining. Villi are finger like projections of mucosal lining that reach into the hollow space of the small intestine. A capillary that connects to each villi is capable of directly absorbing nutrients into the blood stream. The microvilli are smaller projections of the villi that serve as a point of absorption of nutrients. Large Intestine: When all the food has been digested to the smallest possible pieces, the chyme oozes from the small intestine to the large. It simply passes through the last portion of the small intestine (ileum) through the ileocecal valve into the cecum, the first portion of the large intestine. It is about 6 foot long. Its divided into the ascending, transverse and descending colon. Water from chyme is absorbed through the lining of the large intestine. As the colon completes it work, contractions move faeces into the rectum. 150-200g of faeces stretches the rectum and the stretch receptors tell the brain its time to defecate. The sphincter is normally contracted so when it relaxes, it opens and faeces passes through into the anal canal and exits the body through the anus. Peritoneum: In the abdomen the organs are covered by a serous membrane called the peritoneum. It is the largest serous membrane of the body. It consists of a closed sac, containing a small amount of serous fluid, within the abdominal cavity. It is richly supplied with blood and lymph vessels and contains a number of lymph nodes. It has 2 layers the parietal layer (lining the abdominal wall) and the visceral layer (covers the organs). The potential space between them is called the peritoneal cavity and contains serous fluid. The term mesentery is often used to refer to a double layer of visceral peritoneum. The arrangement of the peritoneum is such that the organs are invaginated into the closed sac from behind, below and above so that they are at least partly covered by the visceral layer.

Chemical Breakdown: Most of the organs of the digestive system work as glands (they secrete the hormones and enzymes that do the hard work). The pancreas, the liver and gallbladder are often referred to the accessory organs of digestion Pancreas: It sits next to the duodenum and behind the stomach. The gland is known for secretion of insulin but it also secretes a number of other substances that are important to digestive functions. Pancreatic juice contains enzymes that digest cards, fats and proteins. It also contains sodium bicarbonate which plays an important role in reducing the acid in the chyme from the stomach. Reducing the acidity is necessary because enzymes are only effective in a neutral environment. If the mixture is too acidic the enzymes dont work and digestion can be incomplete, leading to intestinal problems. Nearly every cell of the pancreas secretes pancreatic juice and passes it through the pancreatic duct directly into the duodenum. Liver: The bodys largest gland. It filters blood through its 100,000 lobules. These lobules form the 2 lobes of the liver. Each lobule is filled with bile canals and has access to the portal vein and hepatic artery. It sits under the diaphragm. It filters toxins out of the blood that flows from the intestines through the portal vein. The liver also produces bile, which the bile ducts transport to the

gallbladder. The liver produces several other substances and has other functions in addition to filtering, creating bile and breaking down red blood cells. After a large meal the liver stores excess glucose as glycogen and then breaks it down in between meals to keep blood sugar levels normal. The liver also produces urea after amino acids are broken down during digestion. When the liver removes dying red blood cells from the blood stream the haemoglobin is converted into bile pigments and the liver recycles the haem portion. The liver produces plasma proteins such as fibrinogen.

Gallbladder: It is a greenish little organ tucked into the curve of the liver that serves to store excess bile. The bile is released from the gallbladder and passes out of it through the cystic duct in the neck of the gallbladder. Then the bile flows through the common bile duct into the duodenum. The bile mixes with the chyme coming out of the stomach. Bile emulsifies fats. During the process, lipase breaks down large fat molecules into little droplets called micelles. Emulsification liquidifies fats so that they can be carried in the fluid blood stream without solidifying. Another purpose of bile is to help absorb the fat soluble vitamins (K,D,A) into the blood stream more easily. Digestive System Diseases and Disorders Appendicitis - Inflammation of the appendix Constipation - Large intestine absorbs too much water out of the faeces Crohns - Inflammatory bowel disease where the lining of the intestine becomes inflamed Diarrhoea - Excessive amount of water remaining in the faeces Gallstones - Bile becomes concentrated, cholesterol crystallises, and crystals grow and become gallstones. They can fill up the gallbladder or get stuck in the duct. Hepatitis - Inflammation of the liver IBS - Irritable bowel syndrome is a non inflammatory bowel disease resulting in the change of speed of peristalsis. Pancreatitis - Inflammation of the pancreas Ulcerative Colitis Inflammation of the colon Ulcers - Wearing away of tissue can cause a sore or lesion called an ulcer.