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ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY 
OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM 
COLON THERAPY INSTITUTE 
ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM © COLON THERAPY INSTITUTE
Agenda 
A. Basic digestive processes 
A. Regulation of the digestive tract 
A. Components of the digestive 
system 
ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM © COLON THERAPY INSTITUTE
There are four basic digestive 
processes… 
1. Digestion: mechanical and 
chemical breakdown of food 
1. Motility: movement of 
material along the digestive 
tract 
1. Secretion: release of 
enzymes into the digestive 
tract 
1. Absorption: active or passive 
transfer of substances from 
the lumen of the digestive 
tract to ECF 
ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM © COLON THERAPY INSTITUTE
1 Digestion is the breakdown of food 
• What’s digestion? 
• Digestion refers to the breakdown of food structure by enzymes produced 
within the digestive system so that the nutrients locked in the complex foods 
become available for absorption and use 
• How does it work? 
• Say a carbohydrate molecule is too large to be able to be absorbed into the 
circulation… 
• Enzymes will first break down this large molecule into smaller molecules called 
monosaccharides 
• The monosaccharides are then able to be absorbed across the cells and into 
circulation 
• Similarly, proteins are degraded into amino acids and small polypeptides, and 
fats are degraded into monoglycerides and free fatty acids 
ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM © COLON THERAPY INSTITUTE
2 Motility is muscle contraction 
• What’s motility? 
• Motility is a term used to describe the 
contraction of the muscles that mix 
and propel contents in the digestive 
tract 
• How does it work? 
• Muscle contraction causes motility in 
two ways: 
1. Peristalsis: progressive waves of 
contraction that move from one 
section to the next 
2. Segmentation: short segments of the 
small and large intestines alternately 
contracting and relaxing which mixes 
contents and keeps them in contact 
with absorptive epithelium 
ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM © COLON THERAPY INSTITUTE
3 Secretion involves the release of 
fluids 
• What’s secretion? 
• Secretion involves the release of 
digestive juices (e.g., hydrochloric 
acid, enzymes) into the the digestive 
tract 
• These juices aid in digestion and 
absorption of food 
• How does it work? 
• This process is under neural and/or 
hormonal regulation 
• How much secretion occurs daily? 
• About 9 liters of fluid pass through the 
digestive system each day, and only 
about 2 liters are ingested, the rest 
represent secretions from the system 
itself 
ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM © COLON THERAPY INSTITUTE
4 Absorption occurs when materials 
enter the blood or lymph 
• What’s absorption? 
• Absorption refers to the process 
whereby the products that result 
from digestion are transferred 
from the digestive track into the 
blood or lymph 
• How does it work? 
• Digested molecules of food, as 
well as water and minerals from 
the diet, are absorbed from the 
cavity of the upper small 
intestine 
• The absorbed materials cross the 
mucosa into the blood, mainly, 
and are carried off in the 
bloodstream to other parts of 
the body for storage or further 
chemical change 
ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM © COLON THERAPY INSTITUTE
Agenda 
A. Basic digestive processes 
A. Regulation of the digestive tract 
A. Components of the digestive 
system 
ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM © COLON THERAPY INSTITUTE
The digestive system is controlled by 
both nerves and hormones 
ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM © COLON THERAPY INSTITUTE
The nerves that control digestion are 
in the submucosa layer of the tissue 
ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM © COLON THERAPY INSTITUTE
These nerves are part of the 
Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) 
• What’s the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS)? 
• The ANS sends messages from the central nervous system to the internal 
organs and triggers automatic bodily functions without conscious effort 
• It helps control the heart rate, blood pressure, digestion, respiration, blood 
pH and other bodily functions 
ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM © COLON THERAPY INSTITUTE
The ANS consists of two branches: 
the parasympathetic nervous system 
and the sympathetic nervous system 
Note: The activity of 
the digestive system 
increases if the 
parasympathetic 
nervous system is 
aroused and decreases 
if the sympathetic 
nervous system is 
aroused 
ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM © COLON THERAPY INSTITUTE
Too much arousal of either branch 
can lead to problems 
• If the sympathetic nervous system is too aroused: 
• Food will not move through the digestive tract and 
mucus will not be released 
• If the parasympathetic nervous system is too aroused: 
• Food will move through the digestive tract too fast 
• Not enough nutrients may be absorbed into the 
body 
• Thus, both branches work together to attain the 
correct balance so that food moves through the tract 
at a suitable pace 
ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM © COLON THERAPY INSTITUTE
The hormones that control digestion 
are produced and secreted by various 
organs along the digestive tract 
These hormones cause the various chemicals that aid in digestion to 
be released or prevented from being released 
ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM © COLON THERAPY INSTITUTE
Nerves and hormones work together 
to ensure that food moves at an 
appropriate pace and is digested 
ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM © COLON THERAPY INSTITUTE
Agenda 
A. Basic digestive processes 
A. Regulation of the digestive tract 
A. Components of the digestive 
system 
ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM © COLON THERAPY INSTITUTE
The digestive tract is a series of 
hollow organs joined in a long tube 
running from the mouth to the anus 
Components of the digestive 
tract: 
1. Mouth 
2. Pharynx 
3. Esophagus 
4. Stomach 
5. Small intestine 
6. Accessory organs 
7. Large intestine (colon) 
ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM © COLON THERAPY INSTITUTE
1 Food is ingested by the mouth 
• What does it do? 
• Ingests food 
• Chews and mixes food 
• Begins chemical 
breakdown of 
carbohydrates 
• Moves food into the 
pharynx 
• Begins breakdown of 
lipids via lingual lipase 
• Moistens and dissolves 
food, allowing you to 
taste it 
• Cleans and lubricates 
the teeth and oral 
cavity 
• Has some 
antimicrobial activity 
ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM © COLON THERAPY INSTITUTE
2 The pharynx moves food from the 
oral cavity to the esophagus 
• What does it do? 
• Propels food from the oral cavity to the esophagus 
• Lubricates food and passageways 
ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM © COLON THERAPY INSTITUTE
3 The esophagus sends food to the 
stomach 
• What does it do? 
• Propels food to the stomach 
• Lubricates food and passageways 
ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM © COLON THERAPY INSTITUTE
4 The stomach mixes and churns 
food to form chyme 
• What does it do? 
• Mixes and churns food 
with gastric juices to 
form chyme 
• Begins chemical 
breakdown of proteins 
• Releases food into the 
duodenum as chyme 
• Absorbs some fat-soluble 
substances (for example, 
alcohol, aspirin) 
• Possesses antimicrobial 
functions 
• Stimulates protein-digesting 
enzymes 
• Secretes intrinsic factor 
required for vitamin B12 
absorption in small 
intestine 
ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM © COLON THERAPY INSTITUTE
5 The small intestine absorbs and 
digests 
• What does it do? 
• Mixes chyme with 
digestive juices 
• Propels food at a rate 
slow enough for 
digestion and absorption 
• Absorbs breakdown 
products of 
carbohydrates, proteins, 
lipids, and nucleic acids, 
along with vitamins, 
minerals, and water 
• Performs physical 
digestion via 
segmentation 
• Provides optimal medium 
for enzymatic activity 
ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM © COLON THERAPY INSTITUTE
6 Accessory organs secrete digestive 
fluids 
• Liver: produces bile 
salts, which emulsify 
lipids, aiding their 
digestion and absorption 
• Gallbladder: stores, 
concentrates, and 
releases bile 
• Pancreas: produces 
digestive enzymes and 
bicarbonate 
ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM © COLON THERAPY INSTITUTE
7 The large intestine (colon) absorbs 
water; stores and eliminates stool 
• What does it do? 
• Further breaks down 
food residues 
• Absorbs most residual 
water, electrolytes, 
and vitamins produced 
by enteric bacteria 
• Temporarily stores 
stool 
• Propels stool toward 
rectum 
• Eliminates stool 
• Mucus eases 
passage of stool 
through colon 
ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM © COLON THERAPY INSTITUTE

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Unit 1 a&p digestive system cti

  • 1. ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM COLON THERAPY INSTITUTE ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM © COLON THERAPY INSTITUTE
  • 2. Agenda A. Basic digestive processes A. Regulation of the digestive tract A. Components of the digestive system ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM © COLON THERAPY INSTITUTE
  • 3. There are four basic digestive processes… 1. Digestion: mechanical and chemical breakdown of food 1. Motility: movement of material along the digestive tract 1. Secretion: release of enzymes into the digestive tract 1. Absorption: active or passive transfer of substances from the lumen of the digestive tract to ECF ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM © COLON THERAPY INSTITUTE
  • 4. 1 Digestion is the breakdown of food • What’s digestion? • Digestion refers to the breakdown of food structure by enzymes produced within the digestive system so that the nutrients locked in the complex foods become available for absorption and use • How does it work? • Say a carbohydrate molecule is too large to be able to be absorbed into the circulation… • Enzymes will first break down this large molecule into smaller molecules called monosaccharides • The monosaccharides are then able to be absorbed across the cells and into circulation • Similarly, proteins are degraded into amino acids and small polypeptides, and fats are degraded into monoglycerides and free fatty acids ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM © COLON THERAPY INSTITUTE
  • 5. 2 Motility is muscle contraction • What’s motility? • Motility is a term used to describe the contraction of the muscles that mix and propel contents in the digestive tract • How does it work? • Muscle contraction causes motility in two ways: 1. Peristalsis: progressive waves of contraction that move from one section to the next 2. Segmentation: short segments of the small and large intestines alternately contracting and relaxing which mixes contents and keeps them in contact with absorptive epithelium ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM © COLON THERAPY INSTITUTE
  • 6. 3 Secretion involves the release of fluids • What’s secretion? • Secretion involves the release of digestive juices (e.g., hydrochloric acid, enzymes) into the the digestive tract • These juices aid in digestion and absorption of food • How does it work? • This process is under neural and/or hormonal regulation • How much secretion occurs daily? • About 9 liters of fluid pass through the digestive system each day, and only about 2 liters are ingested, the rest represent secretions from the system itself ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM © COLON THERAPY INSTITUTE
  • 7. 4 Absorption occurs when materials enter the blood or lymph • What’s absorption? • Absorption refers to the process whereby the products that result from digestion are transferred from the digestive track into the blood or lymph • How does it work? • Digested molecules of food, as well as water and minerals from the diet, are absorbed from the cavity of the upper small intestine • The absorbed materials cross the mucosa into the blood, mainly, and are carried off in the bloodstream to other parts of the body for storage or further chemical change ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM © COLON THERAPY INSTITUTE
  • 8. Agenda A. Basic digestive processes A. Regulation of the digestive tract A. Components of the digestive system ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM © COLON THERAPY INSTITUTE
  • 9. The digestive system is controlled by both nerves and hormones ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM © COLON THERAPY INSTITUTE
  • 10. The nerves that control digestion are in the submucosa layer of the tissue ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM © COLON THERAPY INSTITUTE
  • 11. These nerves are part of the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) • What’s the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS)? • The ANS sends messages from the central nervous system to the internal organs and triggers automatic bodily functions without conscious effort • It helps control the heart rate, blood pressure, digestion, respiration, blood pH and other bodily functions ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM © COLON THERAPY INSTITUTE
  • 12. The ANS consists of two branches: the parasympathetic nervous system and the sympathetic nervous system Note: The activity of the digestive system increases if the parasympathetic nervous system is aroused and decreases if the sympathetic nervous system is aroused ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM © COLON THERAPY INSTITUTE
  • 13. Too much arousal of either branch can lead to problems • If the sympathetic nervous system is too aroused: • Food will not move through the digestive tract and mucus will not be released • If the parasympathetic nervous system is too aroused: • Food will move through the digestive tract too fast • Not enough nutrients may be absorbed into the body • Thus, both branches work together to attain the correct balance so that food moves through the tract at a suitable pace ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM © COLON THERAPY INSTITUTE
  • 14. The hormones that control digestion are produced and secreted by various organs along the digestive tract These hormones cause the various chemicals that aid in digestion to be released or prevented from being released ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM © COLON THERAPY INSTITUTE
  • 15. Nerves and hormones work together to ensure that food moves at an appropriate pace and is digested ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM © COLON THERAPY INSTITUTE
  • 16. Agenda A. Basic digestive processes A. Regulation of the digestive tract A. Components of the digestive system ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM © COLON THERAPY INSTITUTE
  • 17. The digestive tract is a series of hollow organs joined in a long tube running from the mouth to the anus Components of the digestive tract: 1. Mouth 2. Pharynx 3. Esophagus 4. Stomach 5. Small intestine 6. Accessory organs 7. Large intestine (colon) ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM © COLON THERAPY INSTITUTE
  • 18. 1 Food is ingested by the mouth • What does it do? • Ingests food • Chews and mixes food • Begins chemical breakdown of carbohydrates • Moves food into the pharynx • Begins breakdown of lipids via lingual lipase • Moistens and dissolves food, allowing you to taste it • Cleans and lubricates the teeth and oral cavity • Has some antimicrobial activity ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM © COLON THERAPY INSTITUTE
  • 19. 2 The pharynx moves food from the oral cavity to the esophagus • What does it do? • Propels food from the oral cavity to the esophagus • Lubricates food and passageways ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM © COLON THERAPY INSTITUTE
  • 20. 3 The esophagus sends food to the stomach • What does it do? • Propels food to the stomach • Lubricates food and passageways ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM © COLON THERAPY INSTITUTE
  • 21. 4 The stomach mixes and churns food to form chyme • What does it do? • Mixes and churns food with gastric juices to form chyme • Begins chemical breakdown of proteins • Releases food into the duodenum as chyme • Absorbs some fat-soluble substances (for example, alcohol, aspirin) • Possesses antimicrobial functions • Stimulates protein-digesting enzymes • Secretes intrinsic factor required for vitamin B12 absorption in small intestine ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM © COLON THERAPY INSTITUTE
  • 22. 5 The small intestine absorbs and digests • What does it do? • Mixes chyme with digestive juices • Propels food at a rate slow enough for digestion and absorption • Absorbs breakdown products of carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids, along with vitamins, minerals, and water • Performs physical digestion via segmentation • Provides optimal medium for enzymatic activity ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM © COLON THERAPY INSTITUTE
  • 23. 6 Accessory organs secrete digestive fluids • Liver: produces bile salts, which emulsify lipids, aiding their digestion and absorption • Gallbladder: stores, concentrates, and releases bile • Pancreas: produces digestive enzymes and bicarbonate ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM © COLON THERAPY INSTITUTE
  • 24. 7 The large intestine (colon) absorbs water; stores and eliminates stool • What does it do? • Further breaks down food residues • Absorbs most residual water, electrolytes, and vitamins produced by enteric bacteria • Temporarily stores stool • Propels stool toward rectum • Eliminates stool • Mucus eases passage of stool through colon ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM © COLON THERAPY INSTITUTE