Download Your Digestive and Urinary Systems

Your Digestive and
Urinary Systems
Chapter 18
Digestive
Function
Digestion: A mechanical and
chemical breakdown of foods for
use by the body’s cells.
 Absorption: The passage of digested
food from the digestive tract into
the circulatory system.
 Elimination: The expulsion of
undigested food or body wastes.

The Digestive
Structure
 Ingestion:
The taking of food into
the body.
 Mastication: The process of
chewing.
 Digestion begins in the mouth with
the salivary glands. These glands
contain enzymes used to begin the
process of breaking down food.
The Digestive Structure
 Your
tongue will automatically ball
food up into a shape suitable for
swallowing.
 The food first enters the pharynx ,
followed by the esophagus on its path
to your stomach.
 Epiglottis: The small flap that covers
your trachea to prevent food from
entering.
The Digestive Structure
 Talking
while eating will prevent
complete closure of the epiglottis,
causing a natural reflex reaction
and choking to remove remnants of
food from the trachea (your
windpipe).
The Digestive Structure
 Peristalsis:
A series of involuntary
smooth muscle contractions moving
food through your esophagus.
 A sphincter muscle, circular in
shape, opens and closes letting
food into the stomach.
The Digestive Structure
 The
sphincter muscles
throughout the digestive tract
prevent stomach acid from
entering the esophagus and
food from backing up through
the digestion system.
The Digestive Structure
 The
stomach is a hollow organ
which consists of a three
layered, muscular wall,
designed to expand when it
becomes filled.
 The stomach serves four main
purposes in the digestive
process
The Digestive Structure
 Continuing
the breakdown of food
 A storage facility for food waiting to
enter the small intestines.
 Mixes food together with Pepsin (an
enzyme) and hydrochloric acid. The
pepsin breaks down proteins.
Hydrochloric acid kills bacteria taken
in from the food and creates a better
digestive environment.
The Digestive Structure
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A mucus lining is found in the stomach
to prevent the stomach’s acids from
digesting itself. These cells are
replaced every three days.
And finally, the stomach controls the
rate at which food enters the small
intestines.
Check p. 415 for stomach facts.
The Digestive Structure
 When
the stomach churns food it
produces what is known as
chyme, a mixture of gastric acids
and liquefied food. This
production causes peristalsis.
The Digestive Structure
The small intestine is where the majority
of digestion and absorption takes place.
 It is approximately 20-23 feet in length
and one inch in diameter.
 The small intestine absorbs the chyme
through the villi, tiny fingerlike
substances that have capillaries in them
to absorb food into the blood.
 Complete chemical breakdown of food,
including proteins, fats and
carbohydrates, takes place in the small

The Digestive Structure
Intestinal juices and secretions from the liver
and pancreas finish the chemical breakdown
process of food in the small intestine.
 The large intestine, or colon, is about 5-6
feet long and 2 ½ inches in diameter.
 The primary function of the large intestine is
to absorb water, vitamins and electrolytes
and evacuate any unused waste products.
 The bacteria in the large intestine change
food stuffs into a semi solid waste product.

The Digestive Structure
 The
Liver: second largest organ in
your body, primary purpose is to
regulate the chemicals in your
blood.
 The Gallbladder: a small organ
underneath the liver that stores bile
produced by the liver, to later be
released into the small intestines to
break down fats.
The Digestive Structure
 Pancreas:
A unique organ that
is part of the digestive and
endocrine systems. It releases
insulin to control blood sugar
and trypsin, amylase and
lipase to digest proteins, carbs
and fats.
Digestive Care
It is important to have a diet with high
amounts of fiber.
 Soluble fiber will dissolve in water and
can lower your bad cholesterol.
 Insoluble fiber does not dissolve in
water, making it a a good protector
from bowel problems and possibly even
colon cancer.

Digestive Problems

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Indigestion: a burning discomfort
in the upper abdomen.
Causes:
– Eating too much
– Eating too quickly
– Eating certain foods
– Stomach disorders
– Stress
Digestive Problems
 Heartburn
(A.K.A.- Acid Reflux): A
burning sensation in the middle to
upper part of the chest.
 The primary cause is a backflow of
stomach acid up into the
esophagus, specifically caused by
an incomplete closure of the
sphincter found between the
esophagus and stomach.
Digestive Problems
 Hiatal
Hernia: A condition in which
part of the stomach pushes through
an opening in the diaphragm. This
may also cause heartburn.
 Gas: Certain foods produced
greater amounts of gas in the
stomach and intestines, making it
uncomfortable.
Digestive Problems
 Nausea:
A feeling of distress or
weakness that often precedes
vomiting.
 Nausea can be produced by
motion, pathogens, medicines,
drugs or other substances in
the stomach.
Digestive Problems
 Diarrhea:
A condition where the
feces are watery and expelled
frequently.
 Diarrhea can be caused by poor
diet, or viral or bacterial infections.
 Constipation: The feces become dry
and hard making bowel movements
difficult.
Digestive Problems
 Constipation:
A condition
where the feces become dry
and hard, making bowel
movements difficult.
–Not enough fiber in your diet
can result in constipation.
Structural Digestive
Problems
 Gallstones:
small crystals which
form in your bladder as a result of
chemical disruption in the bile.
–Can be treated with medicine to
dissolve them or ultrasonic shock
waves to destroy them.
–Surgery is only if they cannot be
destroyed.
Structural Digestive Problems
 Appendicitis:
An inflammation of the
appendix, a 3-4 inch extension at one
end of the large intestine. The
condition is caused by a backup of
bacteria in one end of the organ.
–Symptoms might be: lower
adominal pain, cramping, fever,
nausea, vomiting, the feeling of
constipation and gas.
Structural Digestive
Problems
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Gastritis: An inflammation of the
mucus membrane which lines the
stomach.
Caused by poor diet, smoking, alcohol
or bacteria.
Symptoms include abdominal pain,
nausea or vomiting.
Structural Digestive
Problems
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Lactose Intolerance: The inability to
digest lactose, a sugar found in milk.
People who are lactose intolerant lack
or are deficient of the enzyme lactase,
which helps break down lactose in the
small intestine.
Symptoms include cramps, bloating,
gas and diarrhea.
Structural Digestive
Problems
 Peptic
Ulcer: A sore in the
lining of the digestive tract. It
can occur in the esophagus,
stomach or duodenum.
 Ulcers occur when the
protective lining is damaged
allowing the acids to eat away
at it.
Structural Digestive
Problems

Increased risk caused by aspirin,
ibuprofen, smoking and a bacterial
infection (H. Pylori).
Structural Digestive
Problems
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Colitis: An inflammation of the colon,
often caused by a virus, bacteria or an
amoeba.
Hemorrhoids: Swollen veins in the
lower rectum or anus region.
Constipation, sitting a lot, pregnancy
and giving birth are common causes.
Tooth Decay: Health teeth lead to a
healthy diet.
The Urinary System

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Urine: Liquid waste containing
nitrogen and unused nutrients,
vitamins and minerals.
The Kidneys: Located on each side of
your back, these fist sized organs
continually filter your blood.
– 50 gallons filtered each day
The Kidneys
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Nephrons: These are the functional
part of the kidney. Each one contains
a tubule with a series of capillaries,
called a glomerulus, that functions as
the filtering funnel.
The kidneys filter wasted from your
blood and regulate the amount of salt
and water excreted into the urine.
The Kidneys
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Ureters: Tubes that connect to the
kidneys to your bladder.
Bladder: A hollow reservoir (storage
tank) for urine. The average size of a
male bladder is larger than a female
bladder.
Urethra: The tube that leads from the
bladder to the outside of the body.
Care for Urinary System

The best way to naturally care for your
urinary system is to eat healthy, nontoxic foods, and to drink plenty of
water (about 6-8 glasses of water per
day, which included foods that contain
water).
Kidney Problems
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Cystitis: A bacterial infection of the
bladder, most common in females.
Urethritis: An inflammation of the
urethra.
Incontinence: The inability to hold in
your urine.
Kidney Problems
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Nephritis: An inflammation of the
nephrons.
Kidney Stones: Hard crystals formed
from substances in the urine.
If the stone can not be passed
through the urine naturally, then a
procedure known as lithotripsy is used
to break the stones apart with high
intensity sound waves.
Kidney Problems

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Uremia: When the kidneys are unable
to rid waste from the body, poisonous
substances being to build.
Kidney Failure: Any disease that can
damage your kidneys can cause
failure.
Kidney Problems

Three ways to help with kidney failure
– Hemodialysis: the use of an artificial
machine to filter the blood.
– Peritoneal Dialysis: Inserting a tube into
the peritoneal cavity, which acts as a
blood filtering organ.
– Kidney Transplant: A very successful
transplant procedure, over 80%.