What is the digestive system GCSE?

KEY POINT - The job of the digestive system is to break down large food molecules. This is called digestion. Digestion happens in two ways: physical and chemical. Physical - digestion occurs in the mouth where the teeth break up the food into smaller pieces.

In this regard, what is digestion GCSE?

Digestion is the breakdown of carbohydrates, proteins and fats into small soluble substances to be absorbed into the blood. Amylase, proteases and lipases are enzymes that are important in digestion. Biology (Single Science)

Additionally, what is the digestive system BBC Bitesize? The digestive system. Digestion is the process by which food is broken down to be absorbed into the blood stream and distributed around the body. The process is started by saliva in the mouth breaking down carbohydrates. In the stomach, enzymes and acid in digestive juices break down proteins, sugars and fats.

Regarding this, what does the stomach do GCSE?

In the stomach The stomach produces hydrochloric acid. It kills many harmful micro-organisms that might have been swallowed along with the food. The enzymes in the stomach work best in acidic conditions – at a low pH. Protein digestion starts here.

How are products used in digestion?

The digestive juices break foods down into very small particles that can be absorbed and used by the body. The absorbable forms of carbohydrates are monosaccharides, such as glucose and fructose. Proteins are absorbed as amino acids, and fats as fatty acids and glycerol.

36 Related Question Answers Found

How does the digestive system work?

Digestion works by moving food through the GI tract. Digestion begins in the mouth with chewing and ends in the small intestine. As food passes through the GI tract, it mixes with digestive juices, causing large molecules of food to break down into smaller molecules.

What happens when food is not digested?

What Happens When Food Is Not Digested? If undigested food particles are too large to pass through the mucosal barrier and into the bloodstream, these particles will putrefy in the intestines, and could be absorbed into the blood.

Where does digestion begin?

Digestion begins in the mouth, well before food reaches the stomach. When we see, smell, taste, or even imagine a tasty meal, our salivary glands in front of the ear, under the tongue, and near the lower jaw begin making saliva (spit).

Where is protease produced?

Protease is produced in the stomach, pancreas, and small intestine. Most of the chemical reactions occur in the stomach and small intestine. In the stomach, pepsin is the main digestive enzyme attacking proteins. Several other pancreatic enzymes go to work when protein molecules reach the small intestine.

What happens to protein after food is swallowed?

Proteins are digested in the stomach and small intestine. Protease enzymes break down proteins into amino acids. Digestion of proteins in the stomach is helped by stomach acid, which is strong hydrochloric acid. This also kills harmful microorganisms that may be in the food.

What is the purpose of the bile?

Bile contains bile acids, which are critical for digestion and absorption of fats and fat-soluble vitamins in the small intestine. Many waste products, including bilirubin, are eliminated from the body by secretion into bile and elimination in feces.

Which acid is produced by the stomach?

hydrochloric acid

What does the large intestine do?

The 4 major functions of the large intestine are recovery of water and electrolytes, formation and storage of faeces and fermentation of some of the indigestible food matter by bacteria. The ileocaecal valve controls the entry of material from the last part of the small intestine called the ileum.

What happens when food reaches the stomach?

After food enters your stomach, the stomach muscles mix the food and liquid with digestive juices. The stomach slowly empties its contents, called chyme, into your small intestine. Small intestine. The walls of the small intestine absorb water and the digested nutrients into your bloodstream.

What are enzymes made of?

Enzymes are made from amino acids, and they are proteins. When an enzyme is formed, it is made by stringing together between 100 and 1,000 amino acids in a very specific and unique order. The chain of amino acids then folds into a unique shape.

Why the stomach is important?

Function of the stomach

Partial digestion of the food takes place here. The churning action of the stomach muscles physically breaks down the food. The stomach releases acids and enzymes for the chemical breakdown of food. The enzyme pepsin is responsible for protein breakdown.

Where feces are stored?

The last part of the large intestine is the rectum, which is where feces (waste material) is stored before leaving the body through the anus.

Where is food Egested?

Excess water is absorbed back into the body in the large intestine . What is left then is undigested food. This is stored in the rectum, the lower part of the large intestine, until we are ready to go to the toilet. It then comes out of the rectum through the anus as faeces.

What happens to bread in the stomach?

Before your food passes from the mouth and down your esophagus, salivary amylase, an enzyme in saliva, begins to digest the starch in your bread. That is the start of chemical digestion. The passage of the bolus through the esophagus to the stomach occurs by peristalsis, a series of wave-like muscle contractions.

How is food moved along the gut?

Food is moved through the digestive system by a process called peristalsis . Two sets of muscles in the gut wall are involved: circular muscles - which reduce the diameter of the gut when they contract. longitudinal muscles - which reduce the length of the gut when they contract.

Why do we need digestion?

Digestion is important for breaking down food into nutrients, which the body uses for energy, growth, and cell repair. Food and drink must be changed into smaller molecules of nutrients before the blood absorbs them and carries them to cells throughout the body.

What is the stomach?

The stomach is a muscular organ located on the left side of the upper abdomen. The stomach receives food from the esophagus. The stomach secretes acid and enzymes that digest food. Ridges of muscle tissue called rugae line the stomach. The stomach muscles contract periodically, churning food to enhance digestion.