Importance of Absorption
The absorption process is the mechanism by which the final digestive products enter the blood or lymph through the intestinal mucosa. In the small intestine, digested molecules of food are absorbed. This means they go into our bloodstream through the membrane of the small intestine. From there, the molecules of the digested food are carried around the body to the necessary location for nourishment. Absorption of food takes place mostly in the small intestine.
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Absorption across a surface happens rapidly and easily if:
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The surface is thin
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It has a large area
The internal wall of the small intestines is designed to allow for the easy and efficient crossing of substances:
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It has a thin wall, just a dense cell
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There’s a lot of small villi to give a larger surface area
With a thick wall and a small surface, the small intestine may hold a large quantity of digested food before it is absorbed. The villi (singular: villus) stands out and gives a larger surface area for absorption. They also contain blood capillaries for absorbing the molecules of food that are ingested.
Egestion
In the large intestine, excess water is absorbed from the food. What remains is the faecal matter. The faecal matter is stored in the rectum, which is the ending of the large intestine, and it continues to store there till the matter could be ejected out. It then emerges from the rectum in the form of faeces from the anus. This is known as egestion. Make sure that egestion is not confused with excretion. Egestion is the ejection of undigested food, while excretion is the discharge of metabolic waste material.
The digestive system contains several bacteria and bacteria constitute about half the dry weight of the faeces. Bacteria are important in the digestive system. The constituents of the faeces are:
The transport mechanisms on the apical surface of enterocytes (the absorptive cells of the intestine) absorb most nutrients. Lipid, fat-soluble vitamins and most water-soluble vitamins are exceptions. The dietary fats are emulsified by bile salts and lecithin to form micelles that may bring fatty particles to the enterozyte’s surface. The micelles release their fats throughout the membrane of the cell. Fats are then processed into chylomicrons, which are converted into lactates, into triglycerides and combined with other lipids and proteins. Other absorbed monomers move from the villus to the hepatic portal vein from blood capillaries to and from the liver.
What is Meant by Digestion?
Digestion is how your body turns food into nutrients that are used to repair cells, energy and facilitate growth. The food pipe connecting your mouth and stomach, the stomach and the anus together form the digestive tract (or gastrointestinal tract). It consists of a variety of muscles that coordinate food movement and other cells that contain enzymes and hormones. Three other organs, that is, the liver, gallbladder and pancreas, are needed for digestion.
Mechanisms of Absorption
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Simple diffusion.
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Active transport
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Facilitated transport.
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Passive transport.
Simple Diffusion
Simple diffusion refers to movement through the membrane of the solution from the higher level to the lower level. Some monosaccharides, based on the concentration gradient, diffuse into the blood after digesting. E.g., Glucose, amino acids and chloride ions.
Active Transport
The process of solute movement from lower concentrations to higher concentrations at the cost of energy can be described as active transport. During successful blood flow, electrolytes such as Na (sodium) ions are absorbed.
Facilitated Transport
The process of the movement of solutes across the biological membrane using specific carrier proteins is defined as facilitated transport. This method absorbs certain digested amino acids and glucose into the blood.
Passive Transport
Passive transportation is characterized as the solvent movement process across a cell membrane without the expenditure of energy. After digestion, passive transportation absorbs a simpler food substance into the blood.
The blood can not absorb certain digested products from fats. E.g., Glycerol and fatty acids. These components attach to small droplets and form the micelle complex. The component complexes of this micelle are transformed into chylomicrons. Chylomicrons are fat globules covered with small proteins. The chylomicrons are then moved into the lymph vessels and released into the blood. Eventually, the substance that is digested and ingested enters the fabric to be used. This is how the absorption and assimilation of digested food are done.