Question

1. Explain the process of nutrition in humans in 100 words.

2. Write all the glands and their secretions involved in digestion of food in human.

3. Which nutrient is converted in which compound?

Answer 1

(1)

Nutrition is the science that interprets the interaction of nutrients and other substances in food in relation to maintenance, growth, reproduction, health and disease of an organism. It includes food intake, absorption, assimilation, biosynthesis, catabolism, and excretion.[1]
The diet of an organism is what it eats, which is largely determined by the availability and palatability of foods. For humans, a healthy diet includes preparation of food and storage methods that preserve nutrients from oxidation, heat or leaching, and that reduce risk of foodborne illnesses.
In humans, an unhealthy diet can cause deficiency-related diseases such as blindness, anemia, scurvy, preterm birth, stillbirth and cretinism, or nutrient excess health-threatening conditions such as obesity and metabolic syndrome; and such common chronic systemic diseases as cardiovascular disease,diabetes, and osteoporosis. Undernutrition can lead to wasting in acute cases, and the stunting of marasmus in chronic cases of malnutrition.

(2)

Digestive glands: These are also considered to be exocrine glands which have ducts to drop their secretions into the target organ directly. The secretions of the digestive glands help in the process of digestion. These glands include salivary glands, gastric glands, intestinal glands, liver and pancreas.

a) Salivary glands secrete saliva along with enzymes.Ptyalin is the strach hydrolysing enzyme secreted by salivary glands in human beings. It is also called as salivary amylase. Ptyalin secreted in the mouth brings about digestion of starch in the mouth itself. It hydrolyses starch into disaccharaides like maltose and isomaltose and other small dextrins called as limit dextrins. Ptyalin hydrolyses at about 30 percent of the starch in the mout itself.

b) Gastric glands secrete HCL, pepsinogen, mucous.Gastric juice is a secretion of gastric glands located in the lining of the stomach. It is mainly made up of electrolytes, mucus, enzymes, hydrochloric acid, intrinsic factor etc. HCl secreted by parietal cells provides acidic medium for many enzymes to get activated. Neck cells secrete mucus which lubricated the passage of the food. Chief cells secrete pepsinogen which helps in the digestion of proteins after getting activated into pepsin by HCl. Enzymes of the gastric juice bring about digestion of different components of the food. Gastric lipase helps in emulsification of lipids in the stomach. Partially digested food in the stomach is called as chyme and this passes on into small intestine
c) Intestinal glands are present in the inner lining of small intestine. These secrete various enzymes which aid in the process of digestion of all the components of food. Maltase, sucrase and lactase bring about digestion of carbohydrates. Peptidases help in digestion of proteins. Enterokinase helps in the activation of other enzymes

d) Liver is the largest gland in our body. The liver secretes a yellowish green watery fluid called bile. It is temporarily stored in a sac called the gall bladder. Bile provides an alkaline environment for many enzymes to get active. It also reduces the acidity of chyme. Bile plays an important role in the digestion of fats. Bile is sent into duodenum through a narrow tube-like structure called the bile duct. Bile breaks the larger fat molecules into tiny droplets, thereby increasing their surface area, which helps in the digestion of fats easily.

e) Pancreas is the mixed gland. It acts as both endocrine and exocrine gland. The pancreas secretes the pancreatic juice that helps to digest carbohydrates, proteins and fats. The pancreatic juice converts carbohydrates into simple sugars and glucose, proteins into amino acids, and the lipids into fatty acids and glycerol. Trypsin and chymotrypsin help in the digestion of proteins.