Digestive System

Question 1

Function of the digestive system in our body

Answer 1

The digestive system ingests or breaks down food into dissolved and usable nutrients that are absorbed into the bloodstream and transported to cells in the body before excreting solid waste products.

Question 2

Main processes of the digestive system

Answer 2

4,:Ingestion, digestion, absorption and egestion and elimination

Question 3

Ingestion

Answer 3

Occurs when food is taken in through the mouth into your body by eating (which is the beginning of mechanical digestion) or drinking.

Question 4

Digestion

Answer 4

The process where large food molecules are broken into smaller soluble food molecules which are then transported into the bloodstream which the body could use for energy, cell repair and growth.

Question 5

Two types of digestion and explanation

Answer 5

Mechanical digestion occurs in your mouth when the food is broken down using physical movements such as chewing or churning and occurs also in your stomach.
Chemical digestion :Chemicals that break up large food molecules unto smaller soluble molecules called enzymes found in the mouth inside the saliva where they start breaking down starch, chemical digestion occurs in the stomach where gastric juices break down the food and small intestine where soluble nutrients are absorbed I the blood stream to be transported to the cells in the body.

Question 6

Absorption

Answer 6

Movement of digested soluble food molecules through the wall of the digestive system into the blood stream from where it is carried to all cells in the body (small intestine)

Question 7

Egestion and elimination

Answer 7

When any undigested or solid waste products pass through the digestive tract in the large intestine at the end of faces through the anus.

Question 8

Components of alimentary canal or gastrointestinal tract

Answer 8

Mouth, pharynx, oesophagus, stomach, small and large intestine, rectum and anus

Question 9

Components of accessory or supporting organs

Answer 9

Liver, gallbladder, pancreas, salivary glands, tongue and teeth.

Question 10

The mouth known as oral cavity or buccal cavity consists of

Answer 10

The teeth, tongue and salivary glands

Question 11

Characteristics of the mouth

Answer 11

Also called oral cavity or buccal cavity
Main function is ingestion of food or drinks
Consists of some accessory organs of digedtion:teeth, tongue and salivary glands

Question 12

Characteristics of teeth

Answer 12

Breakdown ingested food into smaller pieces that can be swallowed by physical movement
There are a total of 32 teeth in the mouth:incisors=8,canines=4,premolars=8 and molars=12

Question 13

Characteristics of tongue

Answer 13

Helps in moving the food
Mixing the food with saliva and roolld the food into a smooth ball called a bolus that helps with the swallowing process
Contains taste receptors

Question 14

Characteristics of salivary glands

Answer 14

Secretes saliva a watery liquid which contains digestive enzymes mainly salivary amylase that helps in carbohydrates digestion
The moistened food forms a bolus making it easier to swallow to kobe into the oesophagus

Question 15

There are 3 pairs of salivary gland

Answer 15

Parotid, submandibular and sublingual glands

Question 16

Characteristics of pharynx also called throat

Answer 16

Plays the role of pathway for the food from the mouth to the next junction which is the oesophagus and is divided into 3 parts:nasopharynx, oropharynx and larynpharynx

Question 17

The characteristics of the oesophagus (food pipe)

Answer 17

The oesophagus (gullet) is a hallow tube or long duct with muscles that carries the food bolus from the pharynx to move into the stomach
It is about 25cm long
The rhythmic contrsction(wave motion) of the muscles in the oesophagus is called the peristalsis that assists in the pushing of the bolus into the stomach even though it has no digestive function.

Question 18

Characteristics of the stomach

Answer 18

It is a j shaped bag like structure with walls made of elastic muscles. The food is mixed with a liquid secreted by the stomach wall which contains hydrochloric acid and enzymes that help further break for the food molecules
The stomach wall muscles contract and pulverize the food as the grind and mix with the digestive juices and stays for 2 hours whee it is churned
A sphincter at the exit if the stomach opens and moves small soluble food through the valve into the small intestine.

Question 19

What does hcl, mucus and gastric enzymes do in the stomach

Answer 19

Hcl kills microorganisms and activates pepsin
Mucus lubricates food and petectd wall of stomach and gastric enzymes (pepsin, renin and lipase) breaks down protein.

Question 20

Name the 4 functions the stomach has

Answer 20

Storage of food, partial digestion, mechanical churning and regulation of chyme

Question 21

Characteristics of small intestine

Answer 21

Final digedtion of food completes
Absorption of nutrients also take place here with the help of villi present in walls of small intestine and it is about 6 to 9m long pipe like structure arranged in coil form.

Question 22

The small intestine is divided into 3 parts

Answer 22

Duodenum (from the stomach next to the gallbladder)
Jejunum (top part of small intestine)
Ileum (bottom part of small intestine)

Question 23

Characteristics of liver

Answer 23

Largest gland in the body, wighs approx 1.5 kg and produces bile which is a greenish-yellow digestive juice which helps in digestion of fats.

Question 24

Characteristics of gallbladder

Answer 24

Small pea shaped organ located underneath the liver
Bile secreted by the liver is temporarily stored in the gallbladder and when required it enters the duodenum of small intestine.

Question 25

Characteristics of pancreas

Answer 25

Secretes gastric juices which are pancreatic amylase which digests carbohydrates, typsin which digests protein and lipase which digests fats
These pancreatic juices enter the duodenum for further digestion of chyme

Question 26

Characteristics of large intestine

Answer 26

1,5 m long and 70mm in diameter
Parts for large intestine :caecum which is the widest part where the large intestine joins the small intestine and colon which makes up the greatest part of the large intestine and rectum which is the last part of the large intestine that ends at the anus.

Question 27

Name 4 parts that make up the colon and the position

Answer 27

Ascending colon (west), transverse colon (north), descending colon(east) and sigmoid colon(south above rectum)

Question 28

What happens to the undigested food in the large intestine

Answer 28

They end up as waste products and the body mainly absorps water, mineral salts and certain vitamins, the substances remaining are decomposed by bacteria into faces and stored in the rectum before excretion by leaving the body through the anus called egestion or defacation

Question 29

Order of digestive system

Answer 29

Mouth, teeth, tongue, salivary glands, pharynx, oesophagus, stomach, small intestine, pancreas, liver and gallbladder, large intestine and anus

Question 30

Health issues :

Answer 30

Peptic ulcer are open sores that develop on the inside lining of your stomach and the upper portion of your small intestine.
Heartburn,upper abdominal pain,nausea,belching,vomiting,blood in the stool,weight loss,weight gain,
Anorexia :an eating disorder characterized by an abnormally low body weight, an intense fear of gaining weight and a distorted perception of weight.
Thin appearance

Abnormal blood counts

Fatigue

Insomnia

Diarrhoea: a condition in which faeces are discharged from the bowels frequently and in a liquid form
Symptoms include: 1. Abdominal cramps or pain 2. Bloating 3. Nausea 4. Vomiting 5. Fever

Question 31

What is gastric acid

Answer 31

Gastric acid, or gastric juice or stomach acid is a digestive fluid formed within the stomach lining

Question 32

Biomolecule

Answer 32

Or biological molecule is a loosely used term for molecules present in organisms that are essential to one or more typically biological processes

Question 33

Enzymes

Answer 33

Proteins that act as biological catalysts by accelerating chemical reactions.

Question 34

Buffers in saliva

Answer 34

Counteract acidity in your mouth mouth that can prevent tooth decay and a condition called dry mouth that can be hazardous for your mouth abd lubricates food.

Question 35

Swallowing

Answer 35

Called deglutition, the processe in the human or animal body that allows for a substance to pass from the mouth to the pharynx and into the oesophagus

Question 36

Epiglottis

Answer 36

Blocks trachea during the act of swallowing food or liquid.

Question 37

Sphincter

Answer 37

Circular muscle that normally maintains constriction of a natural body passage or orifice. Separates the stomach from oesophagus and and the contents of the stomach from the intestines.

Question 38

Why doesn’t the stomach digest itself

Answer 38

Specialized cells that line the stomach that divide often and make a protective mucus layer

Question 39

Mucus

Answer 39

Slippery aqueous secretion produced by and covering mucous membranes

Question 40

Chemical digestion of all four biomolecules in the small intestine

Answer 40

Carbs, lipids, proteins and nucleic acids. There are enzymes and chemical digestive juices released by other organs such as the gallbladder liver and pancreas.
Mechanical digestion: peristalsis moves the chyme through the segmented space

Question 41

Nutrients absorped in the small intestine

Answer 41

Glucose and fructose(sugar) or amino acids(building blocks of proteins and electrolytes and vitamins. Etc

Question 42

Where does absorption take place in the small intestine

Answer 42

Through the lining of the small intestine which has projections called villi and the villi has mivrovilli. The shape allows them to have lots of surface area for absorbing nutrients and vascular because they have capillaries running through them so the nutrients can be taken up by the capillaries and transported

Question 43

Large intestine role

Answer 43

Is to reabsorp water so the body won’t lose all it’s precious water involved in digestion

Question 44

Feces

Answer 44

Composed of undigested content and contain other substances like the bacteria and feces remain in the rectum until they are excreted from the anus.

Question 45

Liver

Answer 45

Largest internal organ, it’s involved in carbohydrates and protein metabolism and produces bile to breakdown lipids and the gallbladder stores the bile

Question 46

Pancreas

Answer 46

Produces pancreatic juices that have digestive enzymes and neutralizes acid chyme

Question 47

Health issues

Answer 47

Celiac disease that involves the issue with the small intestine
Diverticulitis, is a gastrointestinal disease characterized by inflammation of abnormal pouches
Heartburn known as gastroesophageal relux disease which involves issues with the contents of the stomach entering the oesophagus

Question 48

Rugae

Answer 48

Gastric folds that allows the stomach to distended upon the entry of food