Overview Flashcards
Where does the gastrointestinal system start and finish?
From the mouth all the water down the anus
What does the oral cavity do?
Mechanical and chemical digestion
What parts of the mouth are involved in the GI tract?
Oral cavity, teeth, tongue and salivary glands
What does the tongue do?
Forms the food into a ball and the food is then swallowed by the tongue muscles by the swallow reflex
What do the salivary glands do?
Secrete liquids and enzymes in order to breakdown the food chemically
What does the oesophagus do?
It is a tube of smooth muscle that contracts in a wave motion pushing the food down
What does the stomach do in the GI tract?
The food enters the stomach at the oesophageal gastric junction, the stomach churns to mix food up in a mechanical action
How does the stomach innervates the food?
By the parasynthetic nerves, once this is completed the pyloric sphincter will open
What are the components of the small intestine?
Duodenum, jejunum and the ileum
What does the duodenum do?
Lots of absorption, it engages in a negative feedback loop meaning that it allows food to enter from the stomach when empty
What happens when the stomach is full?
The duodenum sends signals to the sphincter to stop food entering
What does the entry of chyme into the duodenum signal?
Signals to the liver and gallbladder to release bile and signals to the pancreas to release digestive enzymes
What is found at the start of the large intestine?
The appendix
What are the components of the large intestine?
Caecum, ascending colon, transverse colon, descending colon, sigmoid colon and rectum
What does the rectum do?
Stores faeces before they are secreted
