Biology Assignment: Human Body and Digestive System Analysis

This biology assignment provides a comprehensive overview of the human digestive system, encompassing various aspects of nutrition and related biological processes. It begins with an introduction to the levels of organization in the human body and the contribution of different tissues to organ function. The assignment then delves into the key components of a balanced diet, the effects of nutritional deficiencies, and the relationship between the structure of the digestive system and its functions, including ingestion, digestion, absorption, assimilation, and elimination. It further explores the physical and chemical breakdown of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, as well as problems associated with protein digestion and the importance of enzyme activation. The assignment also explains the mechanisms by which the liver and kidney retain glucose and how reflexes contribute to the coordination of the digestive system, comparing the roles of the nervous system and hormones. Finally, it discusses the regulation of blood glucose levels using negative feedback mechanisms, concluding with a summary of the key concepts and referencing relevant sources.

BIOLOGY

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
1.1 Levels of organisations in the human body...........................................................................1
1.2 Contribution of different tissue to effective function by analysing the structure of an organ
......................................................................................................................................................1
2.1 Role of key components of a balanced diet...........................................................................1
2.2 Effects of three nutritional deficiencies on health.................................................................1
2.3 Relation between the structure of digestive system to its function of ingestion, digestion,
absorption, assimilation and elimination.....................................................................................1
2.4 How carbohydrates, fats and proteins are broken down physically and chemically.............2
2.5 Problems associated with protein digestion and importance of enzyme activation...............2
3.1 Explaining the mechanisms by which the liver and the kidney retain glucose.....................2
4.1 a). Explaining how reflexes contribute to the co-ordination of the digestive system............2
4.1 b). Comparing the role of nervous system with that the hormones in the co-ordination of
the Digestive system mechanism.................................................................................................3
4.2 Explaining the regulation of blood glucose levels using negative feedback mechanisms....3
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................4
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................5

INTRODUCTION
Biology is the natural science that understand the study of living organism and life. The
present study of Biology aims to have an understanding of the specific part of human body as per
the scenario. The study will cover all the topic that is related to digestive system in human body.
1.1 Levels of organisations in the human body
Covered in PPT
1.2 Contribution of different tissue to effective function by analysing the structure of an organ
Covered in PPT
2.1 Role of key components of a balanced diet
There are six main components of a balanced diet: carbohydrates, proteins, fats, minerals,
fibre and vitamins.
 Fats fulfil requirement of energy in the body.
 Protein helps in building muscles and to repair wear and tear of body.
 Carbohydrates provide energy.
 Minerals, Vitamins and Fibre improve the body's resistance to disease.
2.2 Effects of three nutritional deficiencies on health
 Iron deficiencies- This deficiency can cause anaemia.
 Vitamin D- Deficiency in this nutrition can cause bone loss, muscle weakness. Increased
risk of fracture, it reduce immune function and increase the risk of cancer (7 Nutrient
Deficiencies that are Incredibly Common, 2019.).
 Magnesium deficiencies- It can cause type 2 diabetes, heart disease, osteoporosis.
2.3 Relation between the structure of digestive system to its function of ingestion, digestion,
absorption, assimilation and elimination
Ingestion is the procedure by which food is taken into the alimentary canal and send it to
the digestive tract (Ding and et. al., 2015). After that, the food is go through the mechanical and
chemical process that help in absorption and assimilation into the tissues. Assimilation take the
chemicals and components into the cells of the body and in the last function, the digestive food
excretion in the form of metabolic waster product from the body.
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2.4 How carbohydrates, fats and proteins are broken down physically and chemically
 Carbohydrates- Digestion of carbohydrates started from mouth while chewing
mechanically break into small pieces. After swallow, partially digested carbs travel down
to the stomach, from there it move into the small intestine where enzymes released that
chemically digest the food.
 Proteins- Physically digestion of protein begins in the mouth with chewing and goes in
stomach and continue in small intestine by breaking down it into amino acid with the
help of enzyme called pepsin (Whitney and Rolfes, 2018). Chemically it starts in stomach
and end in small intestine with the help of hydrochloric acid.
 Fats- Lipids or fats go undigested in the digestive tract in human body and meet bile in
the small intestine that break down the fats into fatty acid.
2.5 Problems associated with protein digestion and importance of enzyme activation
Following are some problems that appears in the digestion of protein are;
 Hard to digest Protein consumption such as; animal protein
 People who have Lysinuric protein intolerance
 People who have PKU cannot break down amino acid
Importance of enzyme activation
 Enzyme activation helps in building muscle, destroying toxins and breaking down the
food particles during digestion (Tortora and Derrickson, 2017).
 It facilitate the speed of chemical reaction in the human body and help cells to
communicate with each other and control the growth, life and death of cells.
3.1 Explaining the mechanisms by which the liver and the kidney retain glucose
Lever and Kidney retain glucose by hormone insulin and glucagon and Glycosuria is the
excretion of glucose into the urine.
4.1 a). Explaining how reflexes contribute to the co-ordination of the digestive system
 Long reflexes- This reflex to the digestive system include a sensory neuron that sends
internal and external digestive sense to the brain.
 Short reflexes- This reflex reacts to the digestive movement and provide shortcut for the
enteric nervous system in the digestive system.
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 Enterogastric reflex- This reflex release acid in the stomach and suppresses the release
of digestive proteins.
 Gastrocolic reflex- It is responsible for the urge of defecate and to the movement of
digested material in the small intestine.
4.1 b). Comparing the role of nervous system with that the hormones in the co-ordination of the
Digestive system mechanism
Role of nervous system is to regulate the speed at which food moves through the
digestive tract. Parasympathetic nervous system is responsible for stimulating digestion by
increasing blood flow to the digestive tract. The brain control muscles from eating and
elimination.
On the other hand, Role of hormones in digestive system is to control various digestive
enzymes that are secreted in the stomach and in the intestine (Williams and et. al., 2016). The
hormone gastrine stimulates stomach acid secretion in response to food intake and the hormone
somatostatin stops the release of stomach acid.
4.2 Explaining the regulation of blood glucose levels using negative feedback mechanisms
Blood glucose level is regulated by the negative feedback that keep the body in balance.
The Homoeostatic process changes the direction of the stimulus is a negative feedback loop. The
negative feedback mechanism are the predominant mechanism used in homoeostasis.
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CONCLUSION
From the present study it has been evaluated that balanced diet is essential for human
body and the deficiencies in the nutrients can cause many effects on health. The digestive system
in the human body have several stages and for better treatment care provider is required to have a
proper understanding.
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Illustration 1: Negative feedback loop

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Ding, L. and et. al., 2015. Bile acid nuclear receptor FXR and digestive system diseases. Acta
Pharmaceutica Sinica B. 5(2). pp.135-144.
Tortora, G. J. and Derrickson, B. H., 2017. Introduction to the human body. John Wiley & Sons,
Incorporated.
Whitney, E. N. and Rolfes, S. R., 2018. Understanding nutrition. Cengage Learning.
Williams, E. K. and et. al., 2016. Sensory neurons that detect stretch and nutrients in the
digestive system. Cell. 166(1). pp.209-221.
Online
7 Nutrient Deficiencies that are Incredibly Common. 2019. [Online]. Available
Through:<https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/7-common-nutrient-
deficiencies#section7>.
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