Digestion

The food that is ingested needs to go by dint of some(prenominal) influencees in the body before it is assimilated into the body. These processes occur in the alimentary leaflet which is a long structure beginning from the address to the anus. There argon in addition other important chemicals, hormones and digestive juices which be involved in this whole process. These are found in specific portions of the tract and severally food is digested or confused down in specific region. Therefore, the dislocation of food is either mechanical or chemically carried out.The complete go away is the division of the food into very small components or sizes that can hunt through into the cells (Insel, turner and Ross, 2004). Everyone has at one time embarked on a journey in their lifetime. In addition to this, you hope to have a smooth trip and reach your destination safely. Herbert the hamburger has prepared to go through a very long and tortuous journey of his life. Everything is i n place and he only hopes to have a safe trip. The master(prenominal) purpose of this trip is to de colored very vital text files that are mandatory to a company cognize as Body Builders.If these documents do non reach their destination, the company dies. These documents includes Fats, Carbohydrates, Proteins and Minerals. The journey begins in the mouth where Herbert goes through some rough machines known as the teeth. This breaks it down into small forms through mastication. The document known as carbohydrate starts to be processed in the mouth and it involves a good friend known as saliva who is the oldtimer in this department. Saliva does this with the help of amylase. This breaks it down into simple forms. From the mouth, permission is anted to work to the next level.To do this, Herbert is rolled into a bolus by the tongue and impel at the back of the mouth. The epiglottis prevents Herbert from going through the trachea which is a abuse route. Herbert moves down in a sm ooth wave known as peristalsis into the esophagus until it reaches the gate of another department known as the stomach. This gate is known as the cardiac sphincter (Insel, Turner and Ross, 2004). In the stomach, enzymes are too involved in the digestion process. Protein digesting enzymes are known as proteases. Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins.The bonds existing between them are broken down by hydrochloric acid from gastric wall. This is followed by breakdown of amino group acids by the enzyme pepsin (Insel, Turner and Ross, 2004). The food immortalizes the small intestines through the pyloric sphincter. In the small intestine, pancrease produces amylase which further breaks carbohydrates to lactose, sucrose and maltose. These are broken down by lactase, sucrase and maltase enzymes respectively. These three are converted to an important form known as glucose which is absorbed via the villi on the walls of the intestines and finally find its way into affinity circul ation.Glucose is necessary for cell metabolism and function. However, the amount of glucose is regulated by the colored with the help of hormones. Too much glucose (hyperglycemia) is transformed into glycogen and stored in the liver through the help of insulin. In cases where glucose levels are low in the breed (hypoglycemia), the reverse happens i. e. conversion of glycogen to glucose with the help of the hormone glucagon. In cases where in that respect is no glycogen, the hormone glucagons initiate formation of glucose from amino acids or fats.This process is known as gluconeogenesis (Insel, Turner and Ross, 2004). The digestion of fats is with the help of enzymes known as lipases. Fats are complex molecules and should be turned into small molecules. This happens with the help of lipase enzyme from the pancrease and the end termination is glycerol and fatty acid molecules. In addition to this process, bile from liver enters through the bile duct and emulsifies the fat. This m akes it easy for the enzyme (lipase) to break down the fats beginning from the surface. Storage of the bile usually occurs in the gall bladder.The body absorbs fats through the villi that cover the small intestines. The structure of the villus is such that it has capillaries and lacteals (lymph vessels). Fatty acids and glycerol enter into the lacteals into lymphatic system and finally bloodstream. Fatty acids find its way into fatty cells for storage or as source of energy (Insel, Turner and Ross, 2004). Protein digestion also continues in the small intestines in duodenum. The pancrease produces protease enzyme namely trypsin. In addition, chymotrypsin is also secreted. It works in a similar manner as pepsin.The end result of breakdown of protein by trypsin is amino acids. This is done through hydrolysis with origination of water molecule between the bonds of amino acids. This helps in separation of the bonds that ward the amino acids together. The amino acids can thus pass thr ough the intestinal wall into bloodstream. Their importance is in the repair of structures of the body. The waste products and undigested corporal move to the large intestines where water is re-absorbed. From there, it moves to the cecum and out through the anus (Insel, Turner and Ross, 2004).