6. Human Physiology – 6.

1 Digestion Name:

IB Biology
TOPIC 6.1
Digestion
6. Human Physiology – 6.1 Digestion Name:

Understandings, Applications and Skills :

The structure of the wall of the small intestine allows it

6.1 U1
to move, digest and absorb food.

The contraction of circular and longitudinal muscle of

6.1 U2 the small intestine mixes the food with enzymes and
moves it along the gut.

The pancreas secretes enzymes into the lumen of the

6.1 U3
small intestine.

Understanding Enzymes digest most macromolecules in food into

6.1 U4
monomers in the small intestine.

Villi increase the surface area of epithelium over which

6.1 U5
absorption is carried out.

Villi absorb monomers formed by digestion as well as

6.1 U6
mineral ions and vitamins.

Different methods of membrane transport are required

6.1 U7
to absorb different nutrients.

Processes occurring in the small intestine that results in

6.1 A1 the digestion of starch and transport of the products of
Application digestion to the liver.

Use of dialysis tubing to model absorption of digested

6.1 A2
food in the intestine.

Production of an annotated diagram of the digestive

6.1 S1
system.
Skill Identification of tissue layers in transverse sections of
6.1 S2 the small intestine viewed with a microscope or in a
micrograph.

Nature of Use of models as representation of the real world:

6.1
science dialysis tubing can be used to model absorption in the
NoS
small intestine
6. Human Physiology – 6.1 Digestion Name:

Define the following terms, giving an example of each.

“large molecules made up of smaller organic molecules. There are four

Macromolecule classes of macromolecules: carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and nucleic
acids”
Ingestion
Digestion
Absorption
Assimilation
Excretion
Egestion

Enzyme

Substrate

Optimum pH

Lipase

Protease

Amylase

Enzymes digest most macromolecules in food into monomers in the

6.1 U4
small intestine.
6. Human Physiology – 6.1 Digestion Name:

Explain why digestion is necessary

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Enzymes digest most macromolecules in food into monomers in the

6.1 U4
small intestine.

State the source, substrate, products, and optimum pH for the following types of enzymes:

Carbohydrase (amylase) Lipase Protease

Substrate Carbohydrates Lipids/ fats Proteins

Example of trypsin
enzyme

Product(s)

Source of
pancreas
enzyme

Optimum
pH
6. Human Physiology – 6.1 Digestion Name:

6.1 U3 The pancreas secretes enzymes into the lumen of the small intestine.


Use the terms in the word bank to complete the flow diagram below:

_Transcription____________________ of digestive enzyme genes in

__nucleas___________________

__Translation___________________ of digestive enzyme genes on

_ribosomes____________________ of rough ER

________________Modification and packaging_________________________in Golgi body

PANCREATIC DUCT CELL ______________exocytosis_______

________________pancreatic
ducts_____________________

__lumen of the small

intestine_______________________________
__

WORD BANK:
pancreatic ducts translation modification and
packaging
nucleus transcription lumen of small
intestine
ribosomes excosytosis
6. Human Physiology – 6.1 Digestion Name:

6.1 S1 Production of an annotated diagram of the digestive system.


Name Function
a.

Salivary glands Secrete saliva, includes amylase to being digestion of

starch.
b.
c.

d.
e.
f.
g. Small intestine
(duodenum)
h.
i.
j.
k.

Stomach Function

Acid

Mechanical Digestion

Enzyme
6. Human Physiology – 6.1 Digestion Name:

The structure of the wall of the small intestine allows it to move, digest
6.1 U1
and absorb food.

Small intestine Function

Neutralisation of When bile from the gallbladder and liver secretes into the stomach and
chyme neutralizes the acid within the chime.

Breakdown molecules in the intestine into small segments to pass through and
Enzymes be absorbed by the walls of the small intestine.

Is the first section where chime is neutralized

Duodenum

Last stage of small intestine absorption of digested food molecules in which is

Ileum taken place.

Identification of tissue layers in transverse sections of the small

6.1 S2
intestine viewed with a microscope or in a micrograph.


Label and annotate the transverse section of small intestine below to show serosa,
mucosa, sub mucosa, muscle layers and villi.
6. Human Physiology – 6.1 Digestion Name:

6.1 The contraction of circular and longitudinal muscle of the small intestine
U2 mixes the food with enzymes and moves it along the gut.

Annotate the diagram below to show the process of peristalsis

Circular muscles constrict behind the

food moving within the tube.

The longitudinal muscles constrict

ahead of the food.

The constriction of circular muscles

pushes the food forward.
 6. Human Physiology – 6.1 Digestion Name:

Villi increase the surface area of epithelium over which absorption is

6.1 U5
carried out.

Villi absorb monomers formed by digestion as well as mineral ions and

6.1 U6
vitamins.

Visible structures Function/ effect

Villi Increase surface area for absorption

Carries blood to and from villus and it maintains the

a. Blood capillary
conc. gradient

b. Lacteal Transports fats to the circulatory system.

Not visible (epithelial cells) Function/ effect

Epithelium is one cell thick Short diffusion path of molecules from lumen into blood

Generates ATP for active transport of digested food

c. Mitochondria
molecules.

Increases surface area for digested food molecules to

d. Micro-villi
absorb
Channels for:glucose
Protein channels in microvilli
Pumps for:Na-K
6. Human Physiology – 6.1 Digestion Name:

Different methods of membrane transport are required to absorb

6.1 U7
different nutrients.

Outline how fats are absorbed by the villus by annotating the diagram below

A key issue in the digestion /absorbtion of fats Is one of solubility: lipids are hydrophobic so,
Are poorly soluble in the aqueous environment of the digestive tract. The digestive enzyme,
pancreatic lipase, is water soluble and can only work at the surface of fat globules. Digestion
is aided by emulsification, the breaking down of fat globules into smaller emulsion droplets.
Bile salts and phospholipids are amphipathic molecules that are present in the bile. Motility
in the small intestine breaks fat globules apart into smaller droplets that are coated with
bile salts plus phospholipids preventing the emulsiondroplet from re-associating. Micelles
are constantly breaking down and re-forming , feeding small amounts of monoglycerides
and fatty acids in the solution. Only freely dissolved monoglycerides and fatty acid can be
absorbed , not the micelles because of their non-polar nature. Some absorbtion may be
facilitated by diffusion.
6. Human Physiology – 6.1 Digestion Name:

Outline how glucose is absorbed by the villus by annotating the diagram below

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6. Human Physiology – 6.1 Digestion Name:

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6. Human Physiology – 6.1 Digestion Name:

Processes occurring in the small intestine that results in the digestion of

6.1 A1
starch and transport of the products of digestion to the liver.

Describe how starch is digested and absorbed by the body

Carbohydrates are digested in the mouth, stomach and small intestine. Carbohydrase
enzymes break down starch into sugars. The saliva present in our mouth contain amylase
which is another starch digesting enzyme.

1,4 glycosidic bond broken down the same as amylase

1,6 fragment cannot be broken down by amylase

Broken down by maltase , glucosidase and dextricase from microvilli membranes.

6. Human Physiology – 6.1 Digestion Name:

Use of models as representation of the real world: dialysis tubing can be

6.1 NoS
used to model absorption in the small intestine

Read the passage below and then answer the questions

MODELLING LIVING PROCESSES

Living systems are complicated and when experiments are done on them, many factors can
influence the results. It can be very difficult to control all of the variables and analysis of the
results becomes difficult. Sometimes it is better to carry out experiments using only parts of
systems. For example, much research in physiology has been done using clones of cells in
tissue culture rather than whole organisms

Another approach is to use a model to represent part of a living system. Because it is much
simpler, a model can be used to investigate specific aspects of a process. A recent example
is the Dynamic Gastric Model, a computer controlled, model of the human stomach that
carries out mechanical and chemical digestion of real food samples. It can be used to
investigate the effects of diet, drugs, alcohol and other factors on digestion.

A simple example is the use of dialysis tubing made from cellulose. Pores in the tubing
allow water and small molecules or ions to pass through freely but not large molecules.
These properties mimic the wall of the gut, which is also more permeable to small rather
than large particles. Dialysis tubing can be used to model absorption by passive diffusion
and osmosis. It cannot model active transport and other processes that occur in living cells.

State the benefits of modeling living processes for scientists?

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State the disadvantages of modeling?

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6. Human Physiology – 6.1 Digestion Name:

Describe how dialysis tubing can be used to model the human gut?

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Describe the limitations of using dialysis tubing as a form of modeling the gut?

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Use of dialysis tubing to model absorption of digested food in the

6.1 A2
intestine.

INVESTIGATING MEMRANE PERMEABILITY USING A MODEL OF THE SMALL INTESTINE

Introduction:
Coca cola contains a mixture of substances with different particle sizes. They can be used to
represent food in the small intestine. Dialysis tubing is semi-permeable so can be used to
model the wall of the small intestine.

Hypothesis:
Cola contains glucose, phosphoric acid and caramel. Caramel is a complex carbohydrate
that is added to produce a brown colour. Predict which substances will diffuse out of the
bag with reasons for your prediction. Predict whether the bag will gain or lose mass during
the experiment.

Factor Prediction
Glucose
Phosphoric acid
Caramel
Overall mass of
bag
6. Human Physiology – 6.1 Digestion Name:

Materials:
 20 c strip of dialysis tubing  measuring cylinder
 15ml of flat coca cola  mass balance
 boiling tube  spotting tile
 distilled water  pipette
 paper towel  stopwatch
 narrow gauge pH paper

Method:
1. Tie a knot in one end of the dialysis tubing
2. Open up the tubing (this bit is tricky!) and pour in 15ml of flat coca cola
3. Tie a knot in the open end of the dialysis tubing to form a ‘sausage’ shape.
4. Rinse the outside of the bag to wash off any traces of cola and then dry the bag
5. Record the mass of the bag
6. Fill a boiling tube with distilled water
7. Look carefully at the water in the boiling tube – record the colour
8. Test the boiling tube for the presence of glucose using a test strip
9. Test the pH of the boiling tube water using narrow gauge pH paper
10. Place the tubing in a boiling tube taking care to ensure the bag is completely surrounded
with the distilled water
11. After one minute, lift the bag up and down a couple of times to mix the water in the tubes
12. Test the water in the boiling tube again for colour, presence of glucose and pH
13. Repeat at 2, 4 8 and 16 minutes
14. After testing the water for the last time remove the bag, dry it and record its final mass

Results
Time (min) Colour pH Glucose Mass (±0.01g)
present?
0
2
4
8
16

Conclusions:
1. Explain the conclusions that you can draw about the permeability of the dialysis tubing from
the tests of the water and the change of the mass of the bag
2. Compare and contrast the dialysis tubing and the plasma membranes that carry out
absorption in the villus epithelium cells in the wall of the intestine
3. Use the results of your experiment to predict the direction of movement of water by
osmosis across villus epithelium cells