Unit 8c: Physiology of Human Body Systems
Issue date: 20/04/2022
Deadline: 04/05/2022
Introduction:
This assignment covers the effects, symptoms, causes, treatments & side effects of Crohn’s disease
as well as a look within how the digestive system works.
Within this assignment I will be evaluating the effects of a dietary disease on human health & their
respective treatments.
My assignment will be going over everything in our digestive system, from the digestive process &
absorption mechanics to the roles of digestive enzymes in each part of the digestive system.
Digestion & Absorption
Our digestive system has 2 types of processes, the chemical & physical. In the physical process of our
digestive system, food is moved & mixed around the gastrointestinal tract, which also known as
motility. Food is moved by a wave like movement which is known as peristalsis. In the digestive
system there are sphincters that act as valves to stop backflow of partly digested food & digestive
liquid, these are located between the stomach & the oesophagus, between the small bowel &
stomach, & between the colon & the small bowel.
The Chemical process within the digestive system includes the release of acids, water, enzymes, &
bicarbonate which are mixed with food to further help break down the food within smaller chunks.
Chemical break-down starts in the mouth, where the more complex carbohydrates are broken down
by enzymes within your saliva. While protein enzymes is broken down by acid & water in your
stomach.
Our stomachs use strong peristaltic contractions to help to churn & mash our food within a chyme,
chyme is a part-liquid mass of semi digested food that also contains within gastric liquid which is
discharged by cells inside the stomach, those cells also secrete hydrochloric acid & pepsin. Pepsin is
also an enzyme that helps to break down protein enzymes. A thick layer of mucus protects our
stomachs from digesting itself.
Chyme goes into the small bowel, it’s normal for it to take a few hours or so for the content of the
stomach to empty & enter the pyloric sphincter, which is located between the stomach & the small
bowel. Our small bowel has 3 distinct segments: the jejunum, the ileum, & the duodenum, the
chyme will first enter the duodenum.
As the chyme passes within the duodenum, the gallbladder, the pancreas, & the liver are then
stimulated releasing liquid which aids in the digestive process. The pancreas will secrete up to 1.5
litres of pancreatic liquid through a duct within the duodenum each day, the liquid will mostly
consists of water & contains within bicarbonate ions that work to neutralize the acidity of the chyme
& enzymes which break down lipids, carbohydrates & protein enzymes.
, The bicarbonate that is produced is used to neutralize the acid within the mixture & enzymes are
introduced to break down the chemical bonds. Most of the digestive enzymes for the small bowel
are created in the small bowel & pancreas.
Digestion has four steps, the first step is the collection of food within the digestive tract, this is
known as ingestion. The second step is both the chemical & mechanical breakdown of food. The
chemical break down is when the components in food then get broken down by enzymes. The
mechanical breakdown starts with amylase being discharged to start breaking down more complex
carbohydrates, the teeth will destruct food whilst saliva starts the chemical process & allows the
movement of food down your throat.
The food which is broken down that you are swallowing is known as bolus. The bolus travels through
the pharynx & within the oesophagus, to prevent choking caused by food going within the trachea,
the epiglottis closes as the food passes through the pharynx. The food is forced within the stomach
from the oesophagus by peristaltic contractions, the pressure of the bolus causes the oesophageal
sphincter to relax & open up so the food can enter the stomach. Solid food take around four to eight
seconds to travel down the oesophagus & liquids take roughly a second. The mechanical break-down
continues as contractions of the stomach & small bowel will mix, mash, & propel food down the
alimentary canal.
The gallbladder will secrete a smaller amount of bile which will help digest the fats, also discharged
through ducts in the duodenum. Bile is made in the liver & then deposited in the gallbladder. There
are two types of muscular contractions known as peristalsis & segmentations, which works to move
& mix the food throughout the digestion through the small bowel. Segmentation sloshes the food
back & forth causing it to mix further, in the first 25 centimetres roughly all of the food is completely
broken down.
By this point the chyme consists of amino acids, monosaccharides, & emulsified fatty acids. Nutrient
absorption is then what follows which occurs in the ileum. Nutrient absorption is increased by the
large surface area, the surface area is enlarged by the villi & microvilli & the nutrients are soaked up
within the capillaries or lymphatic vessels inside the microvilli.
The surface area of the small bowel is larger than 200 square feet, the surface area is enlarged by
the folds of the small bowel. Nutrients pass absorptive cells by amino acids, diffusion, alcohol,
minerals, monosaccharides & water soluble vitamins are all transferred within the capillaries from
intestinal cells & emulsified fatty acids, fat-soluble vitamins, & other lipids are first transferred
through the lymphatic system which will then group up with the blood vessels.
Food that isn't fully broken down will move from the small bowel within the colon through the
ileocecal sphincter. The colons main task is to soak up water, the body must reabsorb the water in
order to conserve it. There’s generally no mechanical or chemical break-down by this point unless
it’s done by bacteria.
There is estimated to be more bacteria residing in the colon than there are cells in the body, but the
majority of these bacteria are harmful, & few are beneficial. Bacteria make nutrients such as vitamin
K & short chain fatty acids, along with minerals such as Sodium & Potassium which are soaked up.
The digestion process then goes into the fourth step, this is the elimination of in-digestible food in
the form of faeces, this also contains within gut bacteria. Faeces is then deposited in the rectum
until it’s ready to be expelled through defecation in the anus, otherwise known as pooping.
Issue date: 20/04/2022
Deadline: 04/05/2022
Introduction:
This assignment covers the effects, symptoms, causes, treatments & side effects of Crohn’s disease
as well as a look within how the digestive system works.
Within this assignment I will be evaluating the effects of a dietary disease on human health & their
respective treatments.
My assignment will be going over everything in our digestive system, from the digestive process &
absorption mechanics to the roles of digestive enzymes in each part of the digestive system.
Digestion & Absorption
Our digestive system has 2 types of processes, the chemical & physical. In the physical process of our
digestive system, food is moved & mixed around the gastrointestinal tract, which also known as
motility. Food is moved by a wave like movement which is known as peristalsis. In the digestive
system there are sphincters that act as valves to stop backflow of partly digested food & digestive
liquid, these are located between the stomach & the oesophagus, between the small bowel &
stomach, & between the colon & the small bowel.
The Chemical process within the digestive system includes the release of acids, water, enzymes, &
bicarbonate which are mixed with food to further help break down the food within smaller chunks.
Chemical break-down starts in the mouth, where the more complex carbohydrates are broken down
by enzymes within your saliva. While protein enzymes is broken down by acid & water in your
stomach.
Our stomachs use strong peristaltic contractions to help to churn & mash our food within a chyme,
chyme is a part-liquid mass of semi digested food that also contains within gastric liquid which is
discharged by cells inside the stomach, those cells also secrete hydrochloric acid & pepsin. Pepsin is
also an enzyme that helps to break down protein enzymes. A thick layer of mucus protects our
stomachs from digesting itself.
Chyme goes into the small bowel, it’s normal for it to take a few hours or so for the content of the
stomach to empty & enter the pyloric sphincter, which is located between the stomach & the small
bowel. Our small bowel has 3 distinct segments: the jejunum, the ileum, & the duodenum, the
chyme will first enter the duodenum.
As the chyme passes within the duodenum, the gallbladder, the pancreas, & the liver are then
stimulated releasing liquid which aids in the digestive process. The pancreas will secrete up to 1.5
litres of pancreatic liquid through a duct within the duodenum each day, the liquid will mostly
consists of water & contains within bicarbonate ions that work to neutralize the acidity of the chyme
& enzymes which break down lipids, carbohydrates & protein enzymes.
, The bicarbonate that is produced is used to neutralize the acid within the mixture & enzymes are
introduced to break down the chemical bonds. Most of the digestive enzymes for the small bowel
are created in the small bowel & pancreas.
Digestion has four steps, the first step is the collection of food within the digestive tract, this is
known as ingestion. The second step is both the chemical & mechanical breakdown of food. The
chemical break down is when the components in food then get broken down by enzymes. The
mechanical breakdown starts with amylase being discharged to start breaking down more complex
carbohydrates, the teeth will destruct food whilst saliva starts the chemical process & allows the
movement of food down your throat.
The food which is broken down that you are swallowing is known as bolus. The bolus travels through
the pharynx & within the oesophagus, to prevent choking caused by food going within the trachea,
the epiglottis closes as the food passes through the pharynx. The food is forced within the stomach
from the oesophagus by peristaltic contractions, the pressure of the bolus causes the oesophageal
sphincter to relax & open up so the food can enter the stomach. Solid food take around four to eight
seconds to travel down the oesophagus & liquids take roughly a second. The mechanical break-down
continues as contractions of the stomach & small bowel will mix, mash, & propel food down the
alimentary canal.
The gallbladder will secrete a smaller amount of bile which will help digest the fats, also discharged
through ducts in the duodenum. Bile is made in the liver & then deposited in the gallbladder. There
are two types of muscular contractions known as peristalsis & segmentations, which works to move
& mix the food throughout the digestion through the small bowel. Segmentation sloshes the food
back & forth causing it to mix further, in the first 25 centimetres roughly all of the food is completely
broken down.
By this point the chyme consists of amino acids, monosaccharides, & emulsified fatty acids. Nutrient
absorption is then what follows which occurs in the ileum. Nutrient absorption is increased by the
large surface area, the surface area is enlarged by the villi & microvilli & the nutrients are soaked up
within the capillaries or lymphatic vessels inside the microvilli.
The surface area of the small bowel is larger than 200 square feet, the surface area is enlarged by
the folds of the small bowel. Nutrients pass absorptive cells by amino acids, diffusion, alcohol,
minerals, monosaccharides & water soluble vitamins are all transferred within the capillaries from
intestinal cells & emulsified fatty acids, fat-soluble vitamins, & other lipids are first transferred
through the lymphatic system which will then group up with the blood vessels.
Food that isn't fully broken down will move from the small bowel within the colon through the
ileocecal sphincter. The colons main task is to soak up water, the body must reabsorb the water in
order to conserve it. There’s generally no mechanical or chemical break-down by this point unless
it’s done by bacteria.
There is estimated to be more bacteria residing in the colon than there are cells in the body, but the
majority of these bacteria are harmful, & few are beneficial. Bacteria make nutrients such as vitamin
K & short chain fatty acids, along with minerals such as Sodium & Potassium which are soaked up.
The digestion process then goes into the fourth step, this is the elimination of in-digestible food in
the form of faeces, this also contains within gut bacteria. Faeces is then deposited in the rectum
until it’s ready to be expelled through defecation in the anus, otherwise known as pooping.
