Digestive System - St Francis Preparatory School：消化系统-圣弗兰西斯预备学校.pptVIP

Digestive System Digestion Three main functions: Ingest food Break it down into nutrients the body can use Eliminate waste 2 Types of Digestion: Mechanical: physically breaking food down into smaller pieces Chemical: chemically altering food, breaking things down into their chemical components: Starches ? simple carbohydrates Proteins ? amino acids Digestion All throughout the digestive tract, mechanical digestion occurs. Chemical digestion of specific types of molecules occurs in different organs. Mouth/Esophagus In the mouth, mechanical breakdown occurs with the help of the tongue and teeth. Saliva in the mouth contains an enzymes called amylase, which starts to break starches down into simple sugars. As food is broken down, it is shaped into small semi-circular chunks called a “bolus” which is swallowed down into the esophagus. Esophagus The esophagus is a tube that connects the mouth to the stomach. It is lined with smooth muscle (you can’t control this type of muscle). The muscle rhythmically contracts, pulling the food towards the stomach. This process is known as peristalsis. Before food enters the stomach, it encounters a ring of smooth muscle known as the cardiac sphincter. Choking Area before the esophagus called the pharynx splits! Esophagus ? stomach Trachea ? lungs To prevent food from entering the lungs and people choking, flap of tissue called epiglottis covers the trachea when we swallow. Stomach The environment of the stomach is very acidic, pH of about 2, due to gastric glands secreting stomach acid. Small Intestine The pyloric sphincter separates the stomach from the small intestine. The small intestine is 7m long and 2.5cm wide. Smooth muscle continues peristalsis and mechanical digestion of food. Chemical digestion relies on 3 accessory organs: liver, pancreas and gallbladder. Small Intestine The pancreas has 2 functions in digestion: secretes enzymes that break down sugars, proteins and fats. Raises the pH to above 7, allowing