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Describe the process of digestion essay
Processes involving digestion
Chapter 10 section 10.1 the process of digestion
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1) Describe the process of food digestion within the gastrointestinal tract. In your answer, make sure to address the following questions: (19 marks total)
a) Where does chemical digestion begin? What is the first enzyme to access food that is ingested? What macromolecule does this enzyme digest? Where is this enzyme produced/secreted? (4 marks)
Both chemical and mechanical digestion begins in the mouth as food materials are broken down into more absorbable units. Food material is transported down the gastrointestinal tract though muscle contractions, a process known as peristalsis. An enzyme known as Amylase, whose main function is to break down carbohydrates, is produced in the salivary glands and pancreas
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The migrating motor complex takes food remnants and bacteria away from the upper gastrointestinal tract and into the large intestines. This begins in between meals when a series of contractions occur in the stomach passing gradually from section to section. The two remaining patterns of motility can occur during and following a meal. Peristalsis involves circular muscles that contract in order to move food materials down the intestinal tract. Peristalsis pushes food to the receiving segment in a progressive wave that allows the bolus to travel. Finally, in segmental contractions segments of the small intestine will contract and relax randomly or at certain intervals. Its purpose is to churn the content of the intestines allowing them to remain in contact with the absorbing …show more content…
The ENS can therefore work independently of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system to sustain digestive motility. However, the ENS will work with parasympathetic nervous system to prepare the digestive system for food, like in the case of hunger. These reflexes are called Long Reflexes, where sensory information is sent to the nervous system and feedback is sent through autonomic neurons. In regards to the role of the central nervous system on gastrointestinal activities, antagonistic control encompasses excitation of the gastrointestinal tract by the parasynthetic division and inhibition by the sympathetic nervous
Now the Cheetos have entered the stomach. The process of breaking down carbohydrates has already begun in the mouth and now more chemical and mechanical digestion will take place in the stomach. Once the bolus has entered the stomach, it mixes with gastric juice, starts protein digestion, and absorbs a limited amount. Here the chief cells secrete the inactive enzyme pepsinogen and the parietal calls secrete hydrochloric acid. When mixed together, they create pepsin. The pepsin works to breakdown the two grams of protein present in the Cheetos. Hormones are also present in the stomach and aid in the digestion process. The hormone, gastrin, increases the secretory activity of gastric glands. In the stomach, some salt from the Cheetos is absorbed through the wall. The Cheetos that entered the stomach has no...
During digestion, the body breaks down food into smaller molecules that could then be used by the body’s cells and tissues in order to perform functions. This starts off in the mouth with the physical movements of chewing and the chemical breakdown by saliva. Enzymes in the stomach break food down further after traveling from the mouth through the esophagus. The food from here then moves into the small intestine, where pancreatic juices and enzymes dissolve proteins, carbohydrates, and fibers, and bile from the liver breaks down fats into these small molecules. Any portion of the fibers or food that were unable to be broken down are passed from the small intestine to the large intestine, which is where the digestive tract transitions into the excretory tract, then the colon and out of the rectum. Any liquids that have been stripped of their nutrients by the body proceed from the stomach to the kidneys. In the kidneys, sodium ions (Na+), uric acid, and urea are exchanged with water, which moves urinary bladder and is excreted through the
The digestive system, in organisms like the mink and human, is supposed to break down the food being eaten to transfer into energy. This energy helps other functions of the body that would in turn keep it alive. The digestive system includes organs such as the stomach, intestines, liver, etc. Digestion starts at the mouth, though.
In order for this breakdown to happen, the ‘tube’ through which the food travels requires assistance from a number of other digestive organs starting with the salivary glands, and later receiving
4)Stomach: The stomach squeezes and mixes food with enzymes for hours before it releases the mixture into the small intestine.
When these two muscles layer contracts in an alternate fashion, it propels the food through the pharynx into the esophagus. This mechanism is called peristalsis. (Marieb E. 2006)
Digestion is defined as the process of transforming foods into unites for absorption. The Digestive System is a complex network of organisms that have six major processes: The digestion of food, the secretion of fluids and digestive enzymes, the mixing and movement of food and waste throughout the body, the digestion of food into smaller pieces, the absorption of nutrients, and the excretion of wastes (Inner Body (1).)
...ve eaten, to break down the food into a liquid mixture and to slowly empty that liquid mixture into the small intestine. Once the bolus has entered your stomach it begins to be broken down with the help of the strong muscles and gastric juices which are located in the walls of your stomach. The gastric juices are made up of hydrochloric acid, water, and mucus- and the main enzyme inside of your stomach is what is known as pepsin, which needs to be surrounded in an acidic setting in order to do its job, that is to break down protein. Once the bolus has been inside of your stomach for long enough it begins to form into a liquid called chyme, and what keeps the chyme from flowing back into our esophagus are ring shaped muscles known as sphincters located at the beginnings and ends of the stomach and they have the task of controlling the flow of solids and liquids.
As I look at the ham sandwich sitting on the plate before me, I start to feel queasy with disgust. The slab of ham is laced with fat. The white solid stuff is just sitting there, taunting me. Daring me to eat it. The bread is stale, crumbling, falling apart. I know that as soon as I pick up the sandwich, the bread is going to disintegrate in my fingers, leaving me with nothing but the malicious ham. No, I think to myself. I will not eat this sandwich.
Imagine you are eating a sandwich containing wheat bread, ham, lettuce, and Swiss cheese. Do you ever wonder where the nutrients go from all of the previous listed ingredients? Well, when a bite of this sandwich is taken, the mouth produces a saliva enzyme called amylase. This enzyme immediately goes to work by breaking down the carbohydrates that are in the bread. Once, the bite is completely chewed, the contents then are swallowed and go down the esophagus and begin to head towards the upper esophageal sphincter and the is involuntarily pushed towards the stomach. The next passage for the sandwich is to go through the lower esophageal sphincter; which transports the sandwich into the stomach.
What happens to food once it is ingested? Where does it go? How is it broken down into smaller pieces? The digestive process is very complex, but simple to understand. It involves several steps that include from being chewed inside the mouth, to landing in the stomach for more breakdown, traveling through the intestines, and finally exiting the body.
The human digestion system is very complex. It starts with the mouth, salivary glands, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, liver, pancreas, gallbladder, small intestine, large intestine, then ends/exits with the anus. Each step is essential to the whole system. For example, the mouth chews food and mixes it with saliva produced by the salivary glands, and then the pharynx swallows chewed food mixed with saliva, this is followed by the food traveling through the esophagus to the stomach where the food gets a bath and mixes with acids and enzymes. After the stomach, the liver, pancreas, and gallbladder produce, stores, and releases bile and bicarbonates. Bile is produced in the liver and aids in digestion and absorption of fat while the gallbladder stores bile and releases it into the small intestine when needed. Following the process into the small intestine, this is where nutrients will be absorbed into the blood or lymph (most digestion occurs here). Next is the large intestine this is where water and some vitamins and minerals are absorbed. Finally, it is the end of the road, the anus. At...
The exocrine function of the pancreas is that it produces enzymes that aids in the digestion of food. There are three important enzymes that are crucial in helping with digestion. The first digestive enzyme is amylase. Amylase function is to break down carbohydrates. The amylase enzyme is made in two places: the cells in the digestive tract that produces saliva and the main one specifically found in the pancreas that are called the pancreatic amylase (Marie, Joanne; Media Demand, “What Are the Functions of Amylase, Protease and Lipase Digestive Enzymes”). The amylase in the pancreas passes through the pancreatic duct to the small intestines. This amylase in the pancreas completes the process of digestion of carbohydrates. Consequently, this leads to the production of glucose that gets absorbed into the bloodstream and gets carried throughout the body. The next enzyme that aids in digestion of food is protease. While amylase breaks down carbohydrates, protease breaks down protein. Protease breaks down protein into the building block form of amino acids. The three main proteases that it produces are: pepsin, trypsin and chymotrypsin (Marie, Joanne; Media Demand, “What Are the Functions of Amylase, Protease and Lipase Digestive Enzymes”). Pepsin does not occur in the pancreas but it is the catalysis in starting the digestion of proteins. Trypsin and chymotrypsin are the two proteases that occur in
The excretory system, which includes the rectum and anus helps the digestive system by getting rid of waste and the digestive system helps the excretory system by breaking down food to be eliminated from the body. Wow! The human body wouldn’t be able to work without one or the other. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed reading my journey throughout the human digestive system. I hope to write again from where my next journey from here will begin- perhaps it will be in the ocean or along Sydney Water pipes. Until next
... and nutritious experience by giving people actual experience to see, feel and taste what is nutrition about (Hegler, 2010).