Chapter 12 Flashcards
(219 cards)
2 important functions of the human digestive system
- breaking down large food molecules into smaller, usable molecules
- absorbing these smaller molecules
What is each one broken down into? fats starch nucleic acids proteins
glycerol and fatty acids
monosaccharides
nucleotides
amino acids
Vitamins and mineral are small enough to
be absorbed without being digested
3 main characteristics of the digestive tract
- 30 feet long
- made of smooth (involuntary) muscle that pushes food along by a process called peristalsis
- muscles of the tract are controlled by the autonomic nervous system
What begins at the mouth?
mechanical/chemical digestion
What enzyme begins starch digestion? Where is this enzyme?
salivary amylase in saliva
What breaks down food mechanically?
tongue and differently shaped teeth work together
The type of teeth an animal has is a:
Humans are omnivores and have 3 different types of teeth:
reflection of its dietary habits
incisors for cutting, canines for tearing, molars for grinding
What digestion occurs in the esophagus?
none
Food in the esophagus is
directed away from the windpipe by the epiglottis ( a flap of cartilage in the back of the pharynx, throat)
Esophagus transports food from
throat to stomach
Both _____ and ______ digestion occur in the stomach
mechanical and chemical
What begins in the stomach?
protein digestion
What do the stomach’s thick/muscular walls do?
churn food mechanically + secrete gastric juice which contains hydrochloric acid and enzymes that digest proteins
Hydrochloric acid
- begins the breakdown of muscle (meat)
- activates the inactive enzyme pepsinogen to become pepsin, which digests protein
Enzyme ‘rennin’
aids in the digestion of the protein in milk
pH of the stomach
2-3
What does the cardiac sphincter do? Where is it?
located at the top of the stomach
keeps acidified food in the stomach from backing up into the esophagus and burning it
What is the pyloric sphincter?
Where is it?
the bottom of the stomach
keeps food in the stomach long enough to be digested
What can excessive acid in the stomach do?
can cause an ulcer to form in the esophagus, the stomach, or the duodenum ( the upper intestine)
Common cause of ulcers and treatment
bacterium, heliobacter pylori
antibiotics
Small intestine
-all digestion is completed and nutrients are absrobed here
2 characteristics of small intestine
- ph is 8
- 6 meters long
All digestion is completed in the
duodenum, the first 10 inches of the small intestine