DIgestion and absorption NCERT NEET IN tELUGU
Channel: ISHTA’s BIO ACADEMY
Date: 09/10/2021

Food is one of the basic requirements of all living organisms. The major
components of our food are carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Vitamins
and minerals are also required in small quantities. Food provides energy
and organic materials for growth and repair of tissues. The water we take
in, plays an important role in metabolic processes and also prevents
dehydration of the body. Biomacromolecules in food cannot be utilised
by our body in their original form. They have to be broken down and
converted into simple substances in the digestive system. This process of
conversion of complex food substances to simple absorbable forms is
called digestion and is carried out by our digestive system by mechanical
and biochemical methods. General organisation of the human digestive
system is shown in Figure 16.1.
16.1 DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
The human digestive system consists of the alimentary canal and the
associated glands.
16.1.1 Alimentary Canal
The alimentary canal begins with an anterior opening – the mouth, and it
opens out posteriorly through the anus. The mouth leads to the buccal
cavity or oral cavity. The oral cavity has a number of teeth and a muscular
tongue. Each tooth is embedded in a socket of jaw bone (Figure16.2).
This type of attachment is called thecodont. Majority of mammals
including human being forms two sets of teeth during their life,