Digestion is a process in which the food that we eat is broken down into tiny nutrients to be taken in by the body. Within the human digestive system, chemical and physical reactions occur that allow for the digestion and the absorption of proteins into the bloodstream. The purpose of this paper is to show how chemistry relates to the daily functions within the body. There are two types of digestion processes, which are called mechanical and chemical digestion.
Mechanical digestion includes the physical changes and this happens when food is chewed in the oral cavity, and this leads to the chemical igestion, which breaks down proteins in the stomach by the gastric acids. Between these two points, many organs work to extract nutrients from the food to deliver it to the body. These include the oral cavity, esophagus, small and large intestine, and the stomach. Beginning in the oral cavity, or the mouth, the food is chewed, torn, mashed, mix, crushed, and it undergoes a physical change.
Pieces are broken down in order to go down the esophagus and digest faster. In addition, salivary glands in the mouth secrete mucus that aid in the breaking down of carbohydrates and ubricating the esophagus for food to pass into the stomach. Once in the stomach, the food is met by the gastric acids. The acids include Hydrochloric acid (HCI), potassium chloride (KCI), and sodium chloride (NaCI). These, in addition to other enzymes, work to break down needed nutrients. Hydrochloric acid (HCI) is a compound found in gastric juices, which is produced by the lining of the stomach.
Hydrochloric acid needs pepsin to speed up the digestion of proteins in the food we eat. When the stomach produces too much acid it causes heartburn. Antacids are bases used to neutralize the acids that cause eartburn. Stomach acid is neutralized by weak bases because antacids act heavily on it. The most common of the bases used are hydroxides, carbonates, or bicarbonates. The acids in the stomach are also compounds, consist of two elements, that are located on the periodic table in groups 1 and 17. They all consist of chlorine and most are alkaline metals besides hydrogen, which is a nonmetal.
The properties of these metals have low boiling points, have low densities, produce hydrogen gas when reacting with water, and dissolve in water to form alkaline solutions. On the other hand, hydrogen is a onmetal, is nontoxic, and is a diatomic gas. Chlorine, which is the most abundant in this case, is a halogen and combines with almost all other elements. It was discovered by Carl Wilhelm Scheele in 1774 but was named by Humphry Davy. Besides being in the compounds of stomach acids, it can also be found in water purification, disinfectants, bleach, medicine, and mustard gas.
Furthermore, when looking at the periodic table trends, pH is more basic as you go from left to right, which is also the same for the electronegativity trend. This means that your alkali metals are more acidic than the noble gases. The lining of the stomach is very strong in being able to hold the gastric juices. They consist of gastric pits that let out enzymes and hydrochloric acid. Also mucous lines the stomach and protect the stomach. It is also a base that neutralizes the stomach acid.
Stomach acids are acidic and are between 1-3 on the pH scale (mostly around 1. ), which is very similar to battery acid. To put it into perspective, the acids in your stomach are strong enough to burn through steel. There are other organs that aid in the functions of the digestive system, which include the pancreas, gallbladder, and liver. The liver creates bile, which is secreted into the stomach and works to break down the fats that you eat. The gallbladder store the bile that the liver makes. It releases the bile when food (with fats in it) enter the small intestine. It is secreted through the bile ducts.
The pancreas works to create enzymes that break down proteins and other compounds that enter the stomach. There are many diseases that can affect the digestive system. These include reflux, jaundice, diverticulosis, cirrhosis, and many others ranging in severity. Gastroesophageal reflux disease is another name for heartburn. What occurs is that when the valve that separates the stomach and the esophagus is weak it allows for acid in the stomach to back into the esophagus and burn it. Jaundice, which is the yellowing of the skin and eyes, is a result of the backup of bile in the liver.
Similar to jaundice, cirrhosis is a disease that is found in alcoholics and is where the liver can result in having an orange appearance. After food is digested, it is converted into chemical energy, which is then further converted into mechanical and heat. Chemical energy is stored in the atoms and molecules, and hen released can produce an exothermic reaction (heat). Heat energy is used to keep the body warm, which is controlled by the hypothalamus. The mechanical energy is converted to movements that you perform every day. The rate of energy used is called the metabolic rate.
Your basal metabolic rate is the estimated amount of calories you burn “resting” for 24 hours. It is the least amount of energy needed to keep you breathing and your blood circulating. The rate of digestion can speed up due to temperature, pH, and surface area. Temperature can increase the reaction, but the imit is 40 degrees Fahrenheit. At too high of a temperature, the enzymes could be denatured. In addition, the enzymes depend on the pH of the gastric fluids. For example, amylase has a high enzyme activity which allows for a faster reaction.
Also, the surface area plays an important role in that as the particle size decreases the rate of digestion increases. It also allows for easier swallowing of food and an easier digestion of the starches by the amylase. The food that is digested in the body’s organic compounds, which contains carbon and other elements that you need. These lements include hydrogen, nitrogen, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and trace elements (iron, fluorine, and zinc). Carbon is the base of organic chemistry and is the second most abundant element in the body.
Carbon bonds itself with other elements to form chains that work to form a base for other metabolic reactions. One chain produced in carbon dioxide (in a gas state), which is formed after respiration. Phosphorus, which is found in nucleic acids, produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP) which aids in energy transfer (ADP + P + energy ATP). However, when you age, parts of the Gastrointestinal System do ot function how they used to. The esophagus in an older person has a decreased response, likewise results in a delay of transit time and calorie consumption.
Another includes the stomach, which results in atrophic gastritis. Atrophic gastritis has a type A and type . Type A is known to be more of an autoimmune disease, while type B is caused by environmental factors, such as bile reflux. However, unlike the stomach and esophagus, the liver decreases in weight by 20% after the age of 50, but the functions tend to remain constant. Overall, within the human anatomy, chemical, and physical hanges occur that allow for the transfer of energy and the ability for the body to maintain homeostasis.
Within this essay, we review the parts of the digestive system, how it works, and the effects of age. Furthermore, the ability for the body to maintain homeostasis, and keep balanced with a number of proteins and water. In addition, it allows for the removal of fluids and solids that the body no longer needs. However, the body does not do this by itself. With the aid of the Nervous System, the body knows when to perform activities by the release of hormones such as FH and LSH.
