Food Digestion

What's the meaning of digestion?

The process of breaking down large and

complex substances into simple molecules
that can be absorbed.
The Digestive System
Which parts of
body are involved
in digestion?
 Human Digestive System
Consists of alimentary canal and the glands
and organs associated with it.
The alimentary canal is like a tube that
extends from mouth to anus.
Most of its length is coiled in the abdominal
cavity
Physical digestion
breaking down of food particles by the teeth
(chewing) into smaller food particles.
increase the surface area of the food particles
for enzyme reaction
involves peristalsis which moves the food
particles down the alimentary canal.
Chemical Digestion
breaking down of large complex molecules in
the food into soluble, smaller and simple
molecules by specific digestive enzymes in the
presence of water.
The process also as known as hydrolysis.
 Digestion in Mouth

There are 3 pairs of salivary glands in the

mouth to produce saliva.
water
salivary amylase
mucus
As the food is being chewed in the mouth, it
mixes with saliva which softens and shapes
the chewed food particles into a lump called
bolus.
The saliva also moistens the food particles to
facilitate the movement of the bolus down the
oesphagus. In the mouth cavity, only starch
will be digested.
The salivary amylase hydrolyses starch to
maltose in an optimum pH condition (pH 7).

salivary
Starch + Saliva amylase
maltose
 The bolus is forced into the
oesophagus by the process of
swallowing.
During swallowing, the bolus
enters the oesophagus, a
muscular tube lined with
epithelial cells and muscle glands.
Mucus lubricates the movement
of the bolus along the
oesophageal wall. Peristalsis
squeezes the bolus down the
oesophagus until it enters the
stomach, which is discussed next.
 Digestion in Stomach
Stomach is a thick-walled, sausage-shaped organ situated
below the diaphragm.
It is a muscular sac with a highly folded inner wall.
Gastric glands in the walls of the stomach secrete gastric
juices which contains hydrochloric acid, and the enzymes
pepsin and rennin.
Functions of hydrochloric acid
prepares on optimum pH range of acidic medium
for the action of the enzymes pepsin and rennin.
kills bacteria that are present in the food.
stops the action of salivary amylase.
Functions of enzymes in gastric juice
the enzyme pepsin hydrolyses protein into peptone and
polypeptides.

pepsin
Protein + water enzyme
peptone + polypeptide

the enzyme rennin curdles milk by catalysing

the conversion of soluble caseinogen (soluble
protein in milk) to insoluble casein (insoluble
milk protein). Caesin is subsequently acted on by the
enzyme pepsin.
enzyme rennin
Caseinogen Casein
The semi-solid and partly digested food is
called chyme. It is slowly released from the
stomach into the duodenum by the
constractions of stomach.
 Digestion in Small Intestine
Duodenum
the first part of small intestine
receives chyme from the stomach
receives:
bile produced by the liver, stored nd released from
the gall bladder
pancreatic juice secreted by the pancreas
Function of bile
emulsifies fats by breakig up large globules of fats
into small fat droplets in order to increase the
surface area for the action of the enzyme lipase.
prepares an alkaline medium for the action of
enzymes
neutralises the acids in the stomach
speeds up the digestion of fats
Pancreatic juice is alkaline and contains three enzymes
which are lipase, pancreatic amylase and trypsin.

Function of the enzymes pancreatic juice

Pancreatic amylase completes the digestion of
starch to maltose.
pancreatic amylase
Starch + water maltose

Trypsin digests polypeptides into shorter chains of

peptides.
trypsin
Polypeptides + water peptides
 Lipase completes the digestion of lipids into fatty
acids and glycerol.
lipase
Lipid droplets + water glycerol + fatty acids

Ileum
Functions of enzymes in intestinal juice
the enzyme erepsin (peptidase) hydrolyses peptide
to amino acids.
erepsin
Peptides + water amino acids
the enzyme maltase hydrolyses maltose to
glucose.
maltase
Maltose + water glucose

the digestions of other disaccharides, each of

which is catalysed by its own enzyme.
sucrase
Sucrose + water glucose + fructose

lactase
Lactose + water glucose + galactose

the enzymes enterokinase activates the

enzyme trypsinogen in duodenum to
enzyme trypsin
The end of products of the digestion of
carbohydrate, protein and lipid will be
absorbed by the villi in the ileum. Hence, the 2
processes that occur in the ileum is digestion
and absorption.
The Process of Food Digestion
Digestive System in Ruminants and Rodents

Ruminants and rodents are like herbivores

that only feed on plants which contain a high
percentage of cellulose, a polysaccharides
which is extremely insoluble.
obtains most of their energy from the
breakdown cellulose of plant cell walls.
certain parts of alimemtary canal contain
bacteria and protozoa which secrete cellulase
to digest the cellulose.
Ruminants (cows, sheep, goats and deer)
their stomach have divided into four
chambers
rumen
reticulum
omasum
abomasum
enables ruminants to carry out rumination,
the process of regurgitating and rechewing
food.
rumen and reticulum are specialised
compartments which harbour large
communities of bacteria and protozoa.
These microorganisms are able to produce
cellulase that digest cellulose.
Rodents (rabbits and rats)

the digestion of cellulose in rodents occurs in

the caecum.
have a long and large caecum for the digestion
of cellulose.
the bacteria and protozoa secrete the enzyme
cellulase for the digestion of cellulose.
Comparison of cellulose digestion between
human, ruminants and rodents.