BTEC Applied Science Unit 8 : Digestive
System: Nutrition and health
Introduction: Digestive System
Wha.t is the digestive system?
Your digestive system is comprised of the ga.strointestina.l (GI) tra.ct, a.s well a.s your liver,
pa.ncrea.s, a.nd ga.llbla.dder. The ga.strointestina.l tra.ct (GI tra.ct) is a. collection of hollow
orga.ns tha.t link from your mouth to your a.nus. The orga.ns tha.t comprise your GI tra.ct a.re,
in order of rela.tionship, your mouth, oesopha.gus, stoma.ch, sma.ll intestine, la.rge intestine,
a.nd a.nus.
Wha.t is the function of the digestive system?
Your digestive system is designed to turn food into the nutrients a.nd energy you need to
survive. When you're finished, it nea.tly wra.ps your solid wa.ste, or stool, for disposa.l the
next time you ha.ve a. bowel movement.
Wha.t is the importa.nce of digestion?
To be hea.lthy a.nd opera.te properly, your body requires nutrients from the food you ea.t
a.nd the liquids you drink. Nutrients include ca.rbohydra.tes, proteins, fa.ts, vita.mins,
minera.ls, a.nd wa.ter. Your digestive system digests a.nd a.bsorbs nutrients from the food a.nd
liquids you ingest, a.llowing them to be utilised for critica.l processes such a.s energy, cell
development, a.nd cell repa.ir.
Wha.t orga.ns a.re the digestive system composed of?
Mouth The mouth serves a.s the entry
site for the digestive tra.ct. In fa.ct,
digestion sta.rts even before you
ea.t. Your sa.liva.ry gla.nds get
a.ctive when you see a.nd smell tha.t
spa.ghetti dish or wa.rm brea.d.
A.fter you sta.rt ea.ting, you chew
your food into sma.ller, ea.sier-
todigest pieces. Your sa.liva. rea.cts
with the food, converting it into a.
form tha.t your body ca.n a.bsorb
a.nd use. When you swa.llow, your
, tongue moves the food down your
throa.t a.nd into your oesopha.gus.
Oesopha.gus When food is ingested, the
oesopha.gus a.bsorbs it via. the
mouth a.nd is loca.ted nea.r the
tra.chea. of the throa.t. The
epiglottis is a. tiny fla.p tha.t dra.pes
a.cross the tra.chea. to prevent
choking when food or liquid is
ingested (if food enters the
tra.chea.). Perista.lsis is a. sequence
of muscula.r spa.sms in the
oesopha.gus tha.t tra.nsports food
to the stoma.ch. But first, the lower
oesopha.gea.l sphincter, a. ring-
sha.ped muscle a.t the bottom of
the oesopha.gus, must rela.x a.nd
feed. The sphincter then closes,
preventing stoma.ch contents from
spilling ba.ck into the oesopha.gus.
(If the contents of the stoma.ch
return to the oesopha.gus, they
ca.n induce a.cid reflux a.nd
hea.rtburn.)
Stoma.ch The stoma.ch is a. hollow orga.n or
"compa.rtment" tha.t stores food a.s
it is combined with stoma.ch
chemica.ls. These ca.ta.lysts use the
most frequent method for dividing
food into a. usea.ble form. Cells in
your stoma.ch's lining relea.se
ca.ustic a.nd powerful substa.nces
tha.t a.re responsible for the
brea.kdown conta.ct. When the
stoma.ch contents ha.ve been
properly processed, they a.re sent
into the sma.ll digestive tra.ct.
Sma.ll Intestine The sma.ll intestine is a. 22-foot-
long strong cylinder tha.t sepa.ra.tes
food using ca.ta.lysts provided by the
pa.ncrea.s a.nd bile from the liver. It
is divided into three sections: the
duodenum, jejunum, a.nd ileum.
Perista.lsis is a.lso a.ctive in this
System: Nutrition and health
Introduction: Digestive System
Wha.t is the digestive system?
Your digestive system is comprised of the ga.strointestina.l (GI) tra.ct, a.s well a.s your liver,
pa.ncrea.s, a.nd ga.llbla.dder. The ga.strointestina.l tra.ct (GI tra.ct) is a. collection of hollow
orga.ns tha.t link from your mouth to your a.nus. The orga.ns tha.t comprise your GI tra.ct a.re,
in order of rela.tionship, your mouth, oesopha.gus, stoma.ch, sma.ll intestine, la.rge intestine,
a.nd a.nus.
Wha.t is the function of the digestive system?
Your digestive system is designed to turn food into the nutrients a.nd energy you need to
survive. When you're finished, it nea.tly wra.ps your solid wa.ste, or stool, for disposa.l the
next time you ha.ve a. bowel movement.
Wha.t is the importa.nce of digestion?
To be hea.lthy a.nd opera.te properly, your body requires nutrients from the food you ea.t
a.nd the liquids you drink. Nutrients include ca.rbohydra.tes, proteins, fa.ts, vita.mins,
minera.ls, a.nd wa.ter. Your digestive system digests a.nd a.bsorbs nutrients from the food a.nd
liquids you ingest, a.llowing them to be utilised for critica.l processes such a.s energy, cell
development, a.nd cell repa.ir.
Wha.t orga.ns a.re the digestive system composed of?
Mouth The mouth serves a.s the entry
site for the digestive tra.ct. In fa.ct,
digestion sta.rts even before you
ea.t. Your sa.liva.ry gla.nds get
a.ctive when you see a.nd smell tha.t
spa.ghetti dish or wa.rm brea.d.
A.fter you sta.rt ea.ting, you chew
your food into sma.ller, ea.sier-
todigest pieces. Your sa.liva. rea.cts
with the food, converting it into a.
form tha.t your body ca.n a.bsorb
a.nd use. When you swa.llow, your
, tongue moves the food down your
throa.t a.nd into your oesopha.gus.
Oesopha.gus When food is ingested, the
oesopha.gus a.bsorbs it via. the
mouth a.nd is loca.ted nea.r the
tra.chea. of the throa.t. The
epiglottis is a. tiny fla.p tha.t dra.pes
a.cross the tra.chea. to prevent
choking when food or liquid is
ingested (if food enters the
tra.chea.). Perista.lsis is a. sequence
of muscula.r spa.sms in the
oesopha.gus tha.t tra.nsports food
to the stoma.ch. But first, the lower
oesopha.gea.l sphincter, a. ring-
sha.ped muscle a.t the bottom of
the oesopha.gus, must rela.x a.nd
feed. The sphincter then closes,
preventing stoma.ch contents from
spilling ba.ck into the oesopha.gus.
(If the contents of the stoma.ch
return to the oesopha.gus, they
ca.n induce a.cid reflux a.nd
hea.rtburn.)
Stoma.ch The stoma.ch is a. hollow orga.n or
"compa.rtment" tha.t stores food a.s
it is combined with stoma.ch
chemica.ls. These ca.ta.lysts use the
most frequent method for dividing
food into a. usea.ble form. Cells in
your stoma.ch's lining relea.se
ca.ustic a.nd powerful substa.nces
tha.t a.re responsible for the
brea.kdown conta.ct. When the
stoma.ch contents ha.ve been
properly processed, they a.re sent
into the sma.ll digestive tra.ct.
Sma.ll Intestine The sma.ll intestine is a. 22-foot-
long strong cylinder tha.t sepa.ra.tes
food using ca.ta.lysts provided by the
pa.ncrea.s a.nd bile from the liver. It
is divided into three sections: the
duodenum, jejunum, a.nd ileum.
Perista.lsis is a.lso a.ctive in this
