Question

Describe the path of food through the digestive system and explain each organ's role in the digestive process. What are some factors that influence digestion?

Answer 1

Ans: Passage of food through the digestive system and the role of each organ is mentioned below-

1. Mouth- saliva is secreted in the mouth which wets the food to make its passage smooth.

• Salivary amylase breaks starch in food to glucose.

2. Stomach- Walls has gastric glands which secrete hydrochloric acid, pepsin, and mucus

•HCL creates an acidic medium which facilitates the action of the enzyme pepsin

•Pepsin is produced by chief cells and breaks proteins into amino acids

•The mucus protects the inner lining of the stomach from the action of the acid under normal conditions

3. Small Intestine-  Small intestine receives secretions of the liver and pancreas for complete digestion of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats

•Bile juice converts acidic chyme into alkaline so that, pancreatic enzymes can act on it.

•Pancreatic juice has-

a. Trypsin- for protein digestion

b. Lipase- for breaking down emulsified fat

Intestinal glands secrete juice which finally converts proteins to amino acids, fat to fatty acid and glycerol, and carbohydrates into glucose. Additionally, bile salts also break large fat globules into smaller globules

4. Large intestine- •unabsorbed food is sent into the large intestine where more villi absorb water from this material

The rest of the material is removed from the body.

Factors that affect digestion include chewing, intake of liquid with food, the addition of condiments in food and frequency of meals.