Digestive and Excretory System for Applied Human Biology BTEC Level 3

A set of student notes covering the following specification areas. To the best of my knowledge from many emails back and forth with Pearson and careful review of the spec and PPQ’s so far.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate in Applied Human Biology

Unit 1: Principles of Applied Human Biology

A4 Digestive and excretory system

• Structure and function of the kidneys, nephron, ureters, urinary bladder and urethra.
• Water balance control, and its effect on blood pressure.

• Structure and function of the stomach, pancreas, gall bladder, duodenum, ileum and colon.
• Digestion, absorption and assimilation of carbohydrates, lipids and proteins.
• Location and conditions required for effective action of digestive enzymes, including amylase, lipase, trypsin, pepsin.

• Control of blood glucose levels:
o role of alpha and beta cells in pancreas, insulin and glucagon
o role of the liver limited to its function as a store of glycogen
o causes of diabetes mellitus (type I and II).

• Dietary needs:
o sources and role of nutrients, including water, fibre, vitamins and minerals
o calorific value of food
o exclusion and calorie-controlled diets.

• Assessing dietary and nutritional problems:
o interpretation of BMI charts and ranges, including recall of the range of values for a normal BMI as 18.5-25.