LABORATORY ACTIVITY NO.

16
THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM and METABOLISM

Scope of Laboratory Activity

This laboratory activity consists of five (5) worksheets:

Worksheet No. 1 Anatomy of the Digestive

System Worksheet No. 2 The Gastrointestinal
Tract
Worksheet No. 3 Accessory Organs in Digestion: The Liver, Pancreas, and
Gallbladder
Worksheet No. 4 Food breakdown in the digestive
tract Worksheet No. 5 Auscultation of Abdominal
Sounds

Overview
The Holy Bible puts it simply, in Matthew 15:17, “Do you not understand that everything that
goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and is eliminated?”
The digestive system processes food that can be absorbed and used by the body’s cells. The
digestive organs are responsible for food ingestion, digestion, absorption and elimination
of undigested remains from the body (Marieb, 2002).
Food and other nutrients undergo six activities which process food into molecules that can
be absorbed and utilized by the cells of the body starting with (1) Ingestion, wherein food is
taken by mouth and then by (2) Mechanical Digestion, broken by a process of mastication
into smaller pieces that can be acted upon by saliva and various enzymes. The (3) Chemical
Digestion transforms the compound molecules of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats into
minute ones through a process called hydrolysis which uses water and other enzymes, which
hasten the very slow process of digestion. Particles then move down the esophagus to the
stomach where mixing and (4) Peristaltic Movements, which are repetitive and rhythmic
waves of contraction occur. These result in simpler molecules that can pass through cell
membranes of the lining in the small intestine into the blood and lymph capillaries by (5)
Absorption. The final step is (6) Elimination, which is the removal or evacuation of
indigestible food molecules or waste products from the body.

Objectives
After completing this laboratory activity, the student will be able to:
1. Identify the anatomy of the digestive system.
2. Identify the gastrointestinal tract.
3. Classify the accessory organs in digestion.
4. Describe the food breakdown in the digestive tract.
5. Appreciate abdominal sounds
Materials
Anatomic charts
Pictures of the digestive system and
organs Glass of water
Plastic cup
Straw
Stethoscope

Worksheet No. 1 Anatomy of the Digestive System

1.1 Complete the following statements by inserting your answers in the answer blank.
The digestive system is responsible for many body processes. Its function begins when food is
taken into the mouth, or 1. oral cavity . The process called 2.
digestion occurs as food is broken down both chemically and
mechanically. For the broken-down foods to be made
available to the body cells, they must be absorbed through the digestive system walls into the 3.
blood . Indigestible food remains are removed, or 4. eliminated , from
feces
the body in the form of 5.........................The organs forming a continuous tube from the mouth to
Alimentary canal
the anus are collectively called the 6................................Organs located outside the digestive tract
proper, which secrete their products into the digestive tract, are referred to as 7. accessory
organs of the digestive system.
1.2 Label the structures in Figure 1. Write your answer in the space provided below.

Figure 1. Organs of the Digestive System

1. Mouth 12. Pancreas
2. Tongue 13. Duodenum
3. Esophagus 14. Jejunum
4. Liver 15. Ileum
5. Gallbladder 16. Transverse colon
6. Parotid gland 17. Ascending colon
7. Sublingual gland 18. Descending colon
8. Submandibular gland 19. Cecum
9. Pharynx 20. Sigmoid colon
10. Stomach 21. Appendix
11. Spleen 22. Rectum

Worksheet No. 2 The Oral Cavity and Gastrointestinal Tract.

2.1 Label the structures in Figure 2. Write your answer in the space provided
below. (Not included)

Figure 2. The Mouth

1. Superior lip 12. Inferior labial frenulum
2. Superior labial frenulum 13. Inferior lip
3. Gingivae (gums) 14. Hard palate
4. Palatoglossal arch 15. Soft palate
5. Fauces 16. Uvula
6. Palatopharyngeal arch 17. Cheek
7. Palatine tonsil 18. Molars
8. Tongue 19. Premolars
9. Lingual frenulum 20. Cuspid (canine)
10. Opening duct of submandibular gland 21. Incisors
11. Gingivae (gums) 22. Oral vestibule

2.2 Label the structures in Figure 3. Write your answer in the space provided below.

Figure 3. The Pharynx

1. Soft palate
2. Hard palate
3. Epiglottis
4. Glottis
5. Larynx
6. Trachea
7. Esophagus
8. Nasopharynx
9. Uvula
10. Oropharynx
11. Laryngopharynx

2.3 Label the structures in Figure4. Write your answer in the space provided below.(Not
Included)

Figure 4. The Esophagus

1. Trachea
2. Esophagus
3. Stomach
4. Upper esophageal sphincter
5. Lower esophageal sphincter
 2.4 Label the structures in Figure 5. Write your answer in the space provided below.

Figure 5. The Stomach

1. Esophagus 9. Lesser curvature

2. Cardia 10. Lumen
3. Fundus 11. Rugae of mucosa
4. Serosa 12. Pyloric sphincter
5. Body 13. Duodenum
6. Longitudinal layer 14. Pyloric canal
7. Circular layer 15. Pyloric antrum
8. Oblique layer 16. Greater curvature
 2.5 Label the structures in Figure 6. Write your answer in the space provided below

Figure 6. The Small Intestines

1. Duodenum
2. Jejunum
3. Ileum
4. Large intestine
5. Rectum
 2.6 Label the structures in Figure 7. Write your answer in the space provided below

Figure 7. The Large Intestine

1. Right colic flexure

2. Transverse colon
3. Left colic flexure
4. Ascending colon
5. Ileum
6. Descending colon
7. Cecum
8. Sigmoid colon
9. Rectum
10. Vermiform appendix
11. Anal canal
Worksheet No. 3 Accessory Organs in Digestion: The Liver, Pancreas, and Gallbladder
3.1 Label the structures in Figure 8 Write your answer in the space provided below

Figure 8. Accessory Organs

1. Gallbladder 8. Quadrate lobe

2. Right hepatic duct 9. Left love
3. Cystic duct 10. Caudate lobe
4. Common hepatic duct 11. Spleen
5. Common bile duct 12. Pancreas
6. Left hepatic duct 13. Pancreatic duct
7. Right love
Worksheet No. 4: Food breakdown in the digestive tract
Select the appropriate terms to complete the following statements. Insert the correct
terms (or letters) in the blank.

A. Bicarbonate-rich fluid I. Mechanical stimulus

B. Bile J. Mouth
C. Brush border enzymes K. Mucus
D. Chewing L. Pepsin
E. Churning M. Psychological stimulus
F. HCl N. Rennin
G. Hormonal stimulus O. Salivary amylase
H. Lipases

1. Starch digestion begins in the mouth when O. Salivary is ducted in

by the salivary glands. amylase
2. Gastrin, which prods the stomach glands to produce more enzymes and the
HCl representsG.a Hormonal stimulus
.
3. The fact that the mere thought of a relished food can make your mouth water is
an example of M. Psychological. stimulus
4. Many people chew gum to increase saliva formation when their mouth is
dry. This type of stimulus I.is Mechanical
a stimulus
.
5. Protein foods are largely acted on in the stomach by L. Pepsin .
6. For the stomach protein-digesting enzymes to become active F. HCl is
needed.
7. Since living cells of the stomach (and everywhere) are largely protein, it is
amazing that they are not digested by the activity of stomach enzymes. The most
important means of stomach protection K. Mucus
is the it produces.
8. A milk protein-digesting enzyme found in children but uncommon in adults
N. Rennin .
9. The third layer of smooth muscle found in the stomach wall allows mixing
and mechanical breakdown E. by Churning
.
10. Important intestinal enzymes are the C. Brush border enzymes .
11. The small intestine is protected from the corrosive action of hydrochloric acid in
chime by A. Bicarbonate-rich
, which is ducted fluid
in by the pancreas.
12. The pancreas produces protein-digesting enzymes, amylase, and nucleases.
It is the only important source of H. Lipases .
13. A nonenzyme substance that causes fat to be dispersed into smaller globules is
B. Bile .