DIGESTION

DIGESTION
 is the process by which food molecules are broken down into
simplex molecules that can be absorbed into the blood
through the intestinal walls.

 involves the use of hydrolases-the hydrolytic enzymes

 Hydrolysis catalyze the following:

 Hydrolysis of Carbohydrates to
monosaccharides
 Fats to Fatty acids and Glycerol
 Proteins to Amino acid.
 Digestion of food takes place in the mouth, the
stomach, and the small intestine, each are having its
own particular enzymes that catalyze the hydrolytic
reactions.
SALIVARY DIGESTION
 during chewing the food is mixed with saliva.
 

Saliva
 moistens the food so that swallowing is easier
 approximately 99.5 percent of water and remaining 0.5 percent consist of mucin-a glycoprotein
that act as lubricant.
 has a pH range of 5.75 to 7.0 with an optimum pH of 6.6
Several inorganic salts that act as buffers;
 salivary amylase
 an enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of starches
 lingual lipase that catalyzes the hydrolysis of triglyceride.
GASTRIC DIGESTION
 

When food is swallowed, it passes down the esophagus into the stomach where it is mixed with
gastric juice.
 
Gastric juice
secreted by glands in the walls of the stomach.
 
*when food enters the stomach, it causes the production of the hormone gastrin.
 
Gastrin
diffuses into the blood stream, which carries it back to the stomach, where it then stimulates the
flow of gastric juice.
 
Gastric juice
 our body secreted 2-3 L gastric juices daily
 normally clear, pale yellow liquid with a pH of 1.0 to 2.0
 99 % water and 0.5% free hydrochloric acid
 contains zymogen, pepsinogen and the enzyme (gastric lipase)
Pathological conditions;
 

Hypoacidity
 acidity of the stomach is less than normal
 commonly associated with stomach cancer and pernicious anemia.
 
Hyperacidity
 stomach has too high acid concentration.
 indicative of gastric ulcers, hypertension or gastrilitis (inflammation
of the stomach walls)
INTESTINAL DIGESTION
 the food in the stomach is very acidic.

3 different digestive juices enter in the small intestine

 1. Pancretic juice
 2. Intestinal juice
 3. Bile
PANCREATIC JUICE
 contains several enzymatic substances like chymotrypsinogen, pancreatic lipase,
proelastase, pancreatic amylase.
 

INTESTINAL JUICE
 it contains several enzymes. Among these are aminopeptidase and dipeptidase.
BILE
 is produced in the liver and stored in the gall bladder.
 is a yellowish brown to green viscous liquid with a pH of 7.8 to 8.6. Bile
contains no digestive enzymes.
 
 
BILE SALTS
 Sodium glycocholate and sodium taurocholate, are two important bile salts.
 bile salts have the ability to lower surface tension and increase area, has
aiding in the emulsification of fats.
 
CHOLESTEROL
 the body's excess cholesterol of excreted by liver and
carried to the small intestine in the bile.
 precipitates in the gallbladder, producing gall stones.
 
Digestion of Proteins

Mechanical digestion of protein begins in the mouth and continues in the stomach and small intestine. Chemical digestion of
protein begins in the stomach ends in the small intestine. The body recycles amino acids to make more proteins.
Digestion of Proteins

 Mechanical digestion of protein begins in the mouth and

continues in the stomach and small intestine. Chemical
digestion of protein begins in the stomach ends in the
small intestine. The body recycles amino acids to make
more proteins.
 

For example: egg protein digestion

 the first step in egg digestion (or any other protein food) involves
chewing. The teeth begin the mechanical breakdown of the large
egg pieces into smaller pieces that can be swallowed.
 The salivary glands provide some saliva to aid swallowing and the
passage of the partially mashed egg through the esophagus.
 
 The mashed egg pieces enter the stomach through the esophageal
sphincter. The stomach releases gastric juices containing
hydrochloric acid and the enzyme, pepsin, which initiate the
breakdown of the protein.
 The acidity of the stomach helps break down the protein. Pepsin,
which is secreted by the cells that line the stomach, dismantles
the protein chains into smaller and smaller fragments
Absorption of Carbohydrates
 
Steps of absorption of carbohydrates.
 Takes place in the small intestine
 Polysaccharides and disaccharides are hydrolyzed into monosaccharides
(glucose , fructose, galactose)
 Monosaccharides are transported into the walls of small intestine into
bloodstream by diffusion and active transport of glucose and galactose
 Blood carries monasaccharides into the liver and into general circulation.
 Monosaccharides are oxidized to furnish heat and energy.
 Stored in the liver and muscles and some are converted to fat and
stored in the adipose tissue.
 The metabolism of carbohydrates is the process of getting the
carbohydrates in the foods we eat into the right format to provide fuel to
our body's cells. This process involves digestion, absorption and
transportation. Most commonly, carbohydrate metabolism results in the
production of glucose molecules which are the most efficient source of
energy (ATP) for our muscles and our brains. Energy or fuel
ABSORPTION
OF FATS
Small Intestine

 The digestion of fats takes primarily in the

Small Intestine.
The End product of Digestion of Fats

 Monoglycerides and Diglycerides

 Fatty Acids
 Glycerol
 These end product will pass through the intestinal
mucosa – where they are reconverted into
Triglycerides
Phosphoglycerides
Which then enter the lacteals, the lymph vessels
in the villi in the walls of the small intestine.
 From the Lacteals these product pass into the
thoracic duct (a main lymph vessel) and
then into the bloodstream.
Bile Salts

 These are necessary for this absorption process.

 After absorption of the fatty acids the bile salt are
returned to the liver to be to be excreted again into
the bile.
 Fatty acids of less than 10 to 12 carbon atoms are
transported through the intestinal walls directly
into the bloodstream, as in any free glycerol
present.
ABSORPTION
OF PROTEINS
 The end product of hydrolysis of proteins are
Amino Acids

Absorption of Amino acids occurs chiefly in the

Small intestine and is an active, enzyme requiring
process resembling the active transport of glucose.
  There are six or more specific
transport systems for amino acids
being carried into the bloodstream.
Six Transport System
 A system for small, neutral amino acids such as Glycine
 A system for large, neutral amino acids such as Phenylalanine
 A system for basic amino acids such as Lysine
 A system for acidic amino acids such as Aspartic acid
 A system for Proline
 A system for very small peptides.
 Amino acids compete with one another for
absorption via a particular pathway thus, high
levels of leucine lower the absorption of
isoleucine and valine.
 Occasionally, proteins also escape digestion and
are absorbed directly into the blood. This occur
more often in the very young since the
permeability of their intestinal mucosa is greater,
allowing the passage of antibodies of colostral
milk.
 This passage of protein into the blood
maybe sufficient to cause immunologic
sensitization and released food allergies.
 The amino acids are absorbed more rapidly than
the D isomers and pass through the capillaries of
the villi directly into the bloodstream, which
carries them to the tissues to be used to build or
replace tissue.
 The amino acids can also be oxidized to
furnish energy.
 Although the body can store carbohydrate
and fat, it cannot store protein.
ABSORPTION OF IRON
 
 The absorption of iron in the body is controlled rather than it’s
excretion.
 Stored iron are conserve efficiently during menstrual period.
 Only 5 to 10% of orally ingested iron is absorbed mostly in the
upper duodenum region of the small intestine.
 
 The absorption of iron in the body is controlled rather than it’s excretion.
 Stored iron are conserve efficiently during menstrual period.
 Only 5 to 10% of orally ingested iron is absorbed mostly in the upper
duodenum region of the small intestine.
ABSORPTION OF VITAMINS
 Absorbed in the upper small intestine.
 Fat soluble vitamins. ( A,D,E,K) need fat and
bile salts to be absorbed.
DIETARY FIBER
 Denotes substances that cannot be digested by the enzymes in the human
body digestive tract.
 Even though such substances cannot be digested in the human body they
exhibit a beneficial effect by aiding water retention.
 A diet high in fiber is associated with reduced incidences of cardiovascular
disease, cancer of the colon and diverticulosis. The more insoluble fibers
such as those found in brans are beneficial to colon function, where as the
more soluble fibers aid in lowering serum cholesterol.
DEFECTS OF CARBOHYDRATE DIGESTION AND
ABSORPTION
 Some individuals have a deficiency of lactose that causes an intolerance to milk. Many
newborns also have a transient lactose intolerance after a bout of diarrhea has
temporarily decreased the level of lactase enzymes in the intestinal tract.
 Treatment consist of withholding lactose-containing milk for several days until the
intestinal tract has repaired itself. Adults who lack lactase enzymes most avoid milk and
milk products.
 A few individuals have an inherited sucrase deficiency. Symptoms which occurs in
early childhood, are similar to those of lactase deficiency
 Malabsorption of glucose and galactose is a congenital
condition resulting from a defect in a carrier
mechanism. However, fructose absorption is normal
because absorption of fructose does not depend on that
carrier system.
Digestion of Carbohydrates

 Digestion begins in the mouth, as chewing action

reduces the size of the food particles. Thus they
will have more surface area in contact with the
digestive enzymes.
In the mouth

 Saliva contains salivary amylase (ptyalin), which

catalyzes the hydrolysis of starch into maltose.
However, this enzyme becomes inactive at a pH
below 4.0 so that its activity ceases when it mixed
with the contents of the stomach, where the pH
falls to about 1.5.
 Some hydrolysis of carbohydrates catalyzed by
salivary amylase may take place in the stomach
before the food is thoroughly mixed with the
contents of the stomach, but this is of little
importance because there are intestinal enzymes
capable of hydrolyzing starch and maltose. The
principal function of saliva is to lubricate and
moisten the food so it can be easily swallowed
In the stomach

 The stomach contains no carbohydrates so no

digestion of carbohydrates occurs there except for
that catalyzed by salivary amylase. The activity of
salivary amylase ceases as soon as it becomes
mixed with the acid contents of the stomach.
In the Small Intestine

 The major digestion of carbohydrates takes place

in the small intestine through the action of
enzymes in the pancreatic and intestinal juices.
 The pancreatic juice contains the enzyme
pancreatic amylase, which catalyzes the hydrolysis
of starch and dextrins into maltose. The maltose
thus produced is hydrolyzed to glucose through the
activity of the enzyme maltase from the intestinal
mucosal cells.
Digestion of Fats
In the mouth

 A lingual lipase secreted by the dorsal surface of

the tongue acts on triglycerides, particularly of the
type found in milk. Lingual lipase has an optimum
pH of 4.0 to 4.5 and pH range of activity of 2.0 to
7.5, so it can continue its activity even at the low
pH of the stomach.
In the Stomach

 Although gastric lipase is present in the stomach,

very little digestion of fats takes place because the
pH of the stomach (1.0 to 2.0) is far below the
optimum pH of that enzyme(7.0 to 8.0)
In the Small Intestine

 In the small intestine, the pancreatic lipase

catalyzes the hydrolysis of fats into fatty acids and
glycerol. This action is aided by the bile.
Pancreatic lipase
Fat+ water---------------------------- fatty acid+
glycerol