CIE IGCSE Biology

Revision Notes

7.1.2 Digestive System

Test Yourself

Identifying Organs of the Digestive System

The human digestive system, IGCSE & GCSE Biology revision notes

The human digestive system

Organs of the Digestive System: Function

Stages of food breakdown

  • Food taken into the body goes through 5 different stages during its passage through the alimentary canal (the gut):
    • Ingestion - the taking of substances, e.g. food and drink, into the body through the mouth
    • Mechanical digestion - the breakdown of food into smaller pieces without chemical change to the food molecules
    • Chemical digestion - the breakdown of large, insoluble molecules into small, soluble molecules
    • Absorption - the movement of small food molecules and ions through the wall of the intestine into the blood
    • Assimilation - the movement of digested food molecules into the cells of the body where they are used, becoming part of the cells
    • Egestion - the passing out of food that has not been digested or absorbed, as faeces, through the anus

Functions of the Digestive Organs Table

the-alimentary-canal-table-igcse-and-gcse-biology-revision-notes

You've read 0 of your 0 free revision notes

Get unlimited access

to absolutely everything:

  • Downloadable PDFs
  • Unlimited Revision Notes
  • Topic Questions
  • Past Papers
  • Model Answers
  • Videos (Maths and Science)

Join the 80,663 Students that ❤️ Save My Exams

the (exam) results speak for themselves:

Did this page help you?

Lára

Author: Lára

Lára graduated from Oxford University in Biological Sciences and has now been a science tutor working in the UK for several years. Lára has a particular interest in the area of infectious disease and epidemiology, and enjoys creating original educational materials that develop confidence and facilitate learning.