The Digestive System

By: Samantha Blasey

Table of Contents:

Research Question

Chapter 1: The Digestive System

Chapter 2: The Goblet Cell

Chapter 3: Different Cells of the Digestive System

Sources

Research Question:

What is the digestive system, and how does it work?

Chapter 1: The Digestive System

What is the Digestive System?:  

    The digestive system is one of the many body systems.  It is the system that breaks down food and absorbs nutrients from the food.  Digestion is about breaking apart the food that we eat so our bodies are able to use the nutrients.  Digestion can take up to 2 or 3 days to complete.

What are the different types of digestion and how do they occur?:

    One types of digestion is Mechanical.  During mechanical digestion, large chunks of food are broken down into small pieces.  It begins in the mouth and involves physical process, like chewing.  Mechanical digestion begins in the mouth, when you chew, and continues to your stomach as the food pieces mix with acid, a chemical substance that breaks down things like food, and other juices that will help to complete the digestion.

    Another types of digestion is chemical.  During chemical digestion, large food molecules are broken into small nutrient molecules that the body can absorb through absorption.  Chemical digestion begins in the mouth, when saliva -spit- breaks down the food and continues to the stomach as enzymes, a substance produced by the liver to break apart molecules so that the body can use them, continue to digest the food.

What is Absorption?:

    Absorption is the process that allows nutrients from the food that you eat to be absorbed by the blood and brought around the entire body with the circulatory system.  Absorption mostly happens in the small intestine.

    If food can’t be broken down into nutrients, it will remain behind in the digestive system.  This food will pass throughout the body with help from excretory system.  The process of passing waste out of the body is called elimination.

What are the organs of the digestive system and what do they do?:

What are the organs of the digestive system and what do they do?:

    The pancreas produces enzymes that break down proteins, carbs, and fats.  The gallbladder stores bile, that is produced from the liver, until it is needed.  The Esophagus leads from the pharynx to the stomach.  It pushed the food into the stomach using the muscular system.  

    The stomach contracts churn and mixes food.  The stomach is lined with glands that secrete acid and enzymes that break down proteins.  The small intestine helps to digest food and absorb its nutrients into the blood.  Villi gives the small intestine an absorptive surface.  The large intestine absorbs water and minerals.  The liver breaks down toxins from the blood.

    When you chew food, it becomes mashed up, like baby food.  Your tongue pushes the food into the opening of you esophagus.  The esophagus squeezes the food into your stomach.  Inside your stomach, the food is churned and mixed with enzymes and acid that breaks down the food into tiny molecule for the cells to absorb.  The chemicals in the acid breaks down proteins and fat.  Chyme is what we call the food that is in our stomachs when it is a thick milkshake like product.  

How does the digestive system work?:

    This chyme moves into the small intestine.  Most nutrients from food are absorbed in the small intestine.  In the duodenum, first part of the small intestine, digestive juices from the liver and pancreas help to turn the chyme into a “soup” of molecules that can be absorbed into your blood.  Villi, absorbs some nutrients from the chyme as it flows by.  The large intestine sucks out most of the water of the chyme.  This keeps you from getting dehydrated.    After the water is gone, the waste moves to the rectum.

Key Structures of the system, their Function, and How it works with other systems:

   Small Intestine.  Absorbs nutrients and minerals from food.  Blood in the small intestine carries nutrients from food to the rest of the body with the circulatory system.

    Large Intestine.  Nutrients are also absorbed and used by the body.  Minerals in the large intestine are absorbed by the blood then carried

throughout the rest of the body with the circulatory system.

    Esophagus.  Keeps food from going down the windpipe.  We use our nervous system to know when to swallow food after it is chewed up by our mouth.

Stomach.  Secretes acid and enzymes that digest food.  It digests the food that we eat.  The stomach passes vitamins, nutrients and proteins throughout the body with the circulatory system.

    Rectum.  Foods that can’t be digested are decomposed by bacteria. The stool is thickened through water absorption and mixed with mucus.The food that can’t be digested travels to the rectum, instead of throughout the rest of the body, with the excretory system.

Chapter 2: The Goblet Cell

    The Goblet cell is a cell that lives in the digestive system, in the small intestine.  This particular cell take mucin, secretes it and then it becomes mucus.  This cell protects the main organs of the body.

    Functions of this cell are Attenuates Microvillus.  It is a thin covering over the theca that can stretch the surface of the cell.  Theca.  Outer covering or membrane covering the cell.  Mucus Granules.  Little bits of mucus that join together inside the cell.  This cell protects the main organs of the body.

What is the Goblet cell and what does it do?:

    One type of secreting is Apocrine.  When the cell expands its membrane, and breaks some off for more space and it starts again.  Another types of secreting is Merocrine.  When the gland releases its product and no part of the gland is damaged.

What are the two types of secreting?:

    Attenuated Microvillus.  Is a thin covering over the theca that can stretch the surface of the cell.  Theca.  The outer covering or membrane covering the cell.  Mucus Granules.  Little bits of mucus that join together inside a cell.

What are the specific functions of 3 organelles found in the Goblet cell?:

About the cell:

    Goblet cells are wide at the top and thin at the bottom.  The cell’s membrane is called theca.  The theca can be irritated by smoke, dust, or pollen.  That can cause your immune system to become blocked.  Goblet cells have a narrow base where the nucleus is found.  One of the cells sections are where you can find the mucus secreting granules.  Goblet cells are specialized epithelial cells.  They are found in tissue.