Chapter 14

Question 1

Pharynx

Answer 1

Part of the digestive tract between the mouth and the esophagus.

Question 2

Esophagus

Answer 2

The tube leading from the pharynx to the stomach.

Question 3

Salivary glands

Answer 3

Glands that furnish moisture that helps in tasting and digesting food.

Question 4

Peristalsis

Answer 4

Contractions that propel food through the digestive tract.

Question 5

Gastric juices

Answer 5

Stomach secretions that aid in digestion

Question 6

Pancreatic juices

Answer 6

Acid-reducing enzymes secreted by the pancreas into the small intestine.

Question 7

Bile salts

Answer 7

Salts produced in the liver and stored in the gall bladder that
aid in digestion of fats.

Question 8

Liver

Answer 8

The largest gland in the body; it aids digestion by producing bile, regulates organic components of the blood, and acts as a detoxifier of blood.

Question 9

Gall bladder

Answer 9

A sac on the liver in which bile is stored

Question 10

Feces

Answer 10

Any materials left over after digestion

Question 11

Rectum

Answer 11

The end of the digestive tract leading to the anus.

Question 12

Anus

Answer 12

Opening through which feces are eliminated

Question 13

Hypothalamus

Answer 13

A small structure beneath the thalamus, involved in the
control of eating, drinking, and emotional behavior.

Question 14

Leptin

Answer 14

A protein hormone produced by fat cells in the body that is related to eating and weight control.

Question 15

Ghrelin

Answer 15

A peptide hormone produced primarily in the stomach, the level of which rises before and falls after meals.

Question 16

Cholecystokinin (CCK)

Answer 16

A peptide hormone released by the intestines that may be involved in feelings of satiation after eating

Question 17

Body mass index (BMI)

Answer 17

An estimate of obesity determined by body weight and height.

Question 18

Set point

Answer 18

A hypothetical ratio of fat to lean tissue at which a person’s weight will tend to stabilize.

Question 19

Eating disorder

Answer 19

Any serious and habitual disturbance in eating behavior that produces unhealthy consequences.

Question 20

Anorexia nervosa

Answer 20

An eating disorder characterized by intentional starvation, distorted body image, excessive amounts of energy, and an
intense fear of gaining weight

Question 21

Bulimia

Answer 21

An eating disorder characterized by periodic bingeing and purging, the latter usually taking the form of self-induced vomiting or laxative abuse.

Question 22

How does the digestive system function?

Answer 22

The digestive system turns food into nutrients by breaking down food into particles that can be absorbed. The process of breaking down food begins in the mouth and continues in the stomach, but absorption of most nutrients occurs in the small intestine. A complex signaling system involves hormones produced in the body and brain and received by the hypothalamus and other brain structures to control eating and weight. Hormones such as ghrelin, neuropeptide Y, agouti-related peptide, and melanin-concentrating hormone increase appetite and feelings of hunger, whereas leptin, insulin, cholecystokinin, glucagon-like peptide 1, and peptide YY are involved in satiation.

Question 23

What factors are involved in weight maintenance?

Answer 23

Weight maintenance depends largely on two factors: the number of calories absorbed through food intake and the number expended through body metabolism and physical activity.

Question 24

What is obesity, and how does it affect health?

Answer 24

Obesity can be defined in terms of percent body fat, body mass index, or social standards. Obesity is associated with increased mortal- ity, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, and digestive tract diseases. The very heaviest—but also the very thinnest—people are at the greatest risk for death. Severe obesity and carrying excess weight around the waist rather than hips are both risks of death from several causes, especially heart disease.

Question 25

Is dieting a good way to lose weight?

Answer 25

A cultural obsession with thinness has led to a plethora of diets, many of which are neither safe nor permanently effective. Changing from overeating to healthier eating patterns and incorporating physical activity are wise choices for weight change, whereas liposuction, diet drugs, fasting, and very low-calorie diets are not.

Question 26

What is anorexia nervosa, and how can it be treated?

Answer 26

Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by self-starvation. Individuals with anorexia are very difficult to treat successfully because they continue to see themselves as too fat and thus lack the motivation to change their eating habits. Cognitive behavioral therapy and a specific type of family therapy are more effective than other approaches.

Question 27

What is bulimia, and how does it differ from binge eating?

Answer 27

Bulimia is an eating disorder characterized by uncontrolled binge eating, usually accompanied by guilt and followed by vomiting or other purgative methods. Binge eating is similar to bulimia in terms of binges, but binge eaters do not purge. Thus, they are often overweight or obese, whereas bulimics tend to be normal weight.