Unit 8
Assignment C
Diana Duka
Physiology of Human Body Systems
Explore the physiology of the digestive system and the use of corrective
treatments for dietary related diseases
Nutrition and Health
Aim
The aim of this report is to explore the diseases related to the digestive system, explain how
it affects the digestive system’s normal functioning and their corrective treatment.
Introduction
In this report, it will explain and explore the digestive system; its functions, diseases and
their corrective treatments. The corrective treatments will be explained and evaluated.
The digestive system is made up of several organs that help in the digestion and breaking
down of food and enzymes. In total, it consists of 12 organs, which are all useful in digestion
in the human body. It varies between hollow organs and solid organs. Hollow organs are the
stomach, small and large intestine, the mouth, the anus and the oesophagus. The solid
organs that make up the GI tract, also known as the gastrointestinal tract, are the pancreas,
the liver and lastly the gallbladder. There are some bacteria and microbes that live in the
intestines and stomach, which help break down food and other smaller molecules faster.
These types of bacteria are healthy gut bacteria, which can also be found in yoghourts and
other dairy products. Working together as a whole, the body also uses hormones and nerves
to digest food as fast as possible and break it down into little pieces.
Function of the Digestive System
,[hand drawn and labelled diagram of the digestive system]
Digestion - the process of breaking down food into smaller, soluble molecules so that it can
pass through in the small intestine.
Absorption - transporting food molecules from the gut into the bloodstream.
The digestive system is an important part of the human body. It is used to break down food
and enzymes as well as healthy bacteria. It can absorb nutrients through the food and drinks
humans consume in order to stay healthy and the nutrients that the body breaks down are
used for cell repair, growth and energy. This is where enzymes work to break down fats,
proteins and carbohydrates. These nutrients are important for the body to stay healthy,
hence the reason doctors advise to eat a balanced diet and 5 fruits and vegetables a day.
In order to move food and drinks through the GI tract, the mouth has to chew all the food
and break it down into smaller pieces, for humans to be able to swallow it. Once chewed and
swallowed it goes to the stomach where it is broken down further with the help of enzymes
and hydrochloric acid. The nutrients within the food and drink that were consumed are then
moved along the intestine and absorbed into the bloodstream. Some of the food and drink
are then ‘filtered’ and travels through the large intestine to the rectum and comes out as the
stool or urine. Some hormones and nerves are helpful during the digestive process. The
organs that are involved in the digestive system are;
Mouth:
Teeth - biting and chewing food. This is a mechanical digestion.
, Saliva - makes the food wet by producing amylase enzyme and breaks down any starch.
This is a chemical digestion.
Oesophagus - it lays behind the heart and trachea in front of the spinal cord. The name of
the process called when the muscular walls within the oesophagus move is peristalsis. It
helps move the food through the oesophagus down to the stomach.
Stomach - found in the left upper side of the abdomen, the upper part of the stomach is
responsible for letting food enter, this is done by the muscles relaxing and the lower part of
the stomach tenses in order to break down the food using hydrochloric acid. The muscles
help pass down food. This is a physical and chemical digestion.
Gallbladder - found below the liver and is pear shaped, it stores excess bile and releases it
into the small intestine when required.
Pancreas - found in the abdomen, it supports chemical digestion, as the enzymes are
released into the small intestine. These enzymes are amylase, protease and lipase. This is a
chemical digestion.
Small intestine - the organ is very long and extends from the stomach all the way to the
large intestine, it uses the same process called peristalsis to move food down the intestine.
After food is broken down it is absorbed into the bloodstream. The vilis that are found on the
walls of the small intestine, help increase surface area to absorb nutrients. This is a chemical
digestion. It is divided into three parts; duodenum (smallest section of the small intestine),
jejunum and ileum(where most nutrients are absorbed).
Large intestine - undigested food and waste products are pushed here. It absorbs water and
with the help of peristalsis, it moves the stool to the rectum. It extends from the part where
the small intestine meets the large intestine, this is called the cecum, all the way to the
colon, where the rectum and anus is located.
Rectum and Anus - the rectum is the lower part of the large intestine and it is used for the
storage of stools. The stool is pushed to the anus when bowel movement occurs.
How does the digestive system work?
The gastrointestinal tract uses a combination of motion and digestive juices. These are
chewing and peristalsis, which is the mixture of squeezing and mixing and digestive juices
such as Hydrochloric acid, enzymes such as amylase, lipase and protease. The enzymes
help break down fats, carbohydrates and proteins.
Digestive Enzymes
These are known as biological catalysts that help speed up the reaction. In this instance, it
helps speed up the breakdown of proteins, carbohydrates and fats, which are needed for
cell repair, metabolism and growth.
