DIgestion & Reproductive System Flashcards
(148 cards)
what is the function of the digestive system
to break down food into nutrients, absorb nutrients into the blood for use by cells of the body, and eliminate waste
what is chemical digestion?
breakdown of food by enzymes into nutrients
what is mechanical digestion?
physical breakdown of food into smaller pieces
what is involved in ingestion?
mastication into bolus (mastication means chewing, so this is putting something into your mouth and chewing, bolus - ball like mixture of saliva and food)
what does digestion start with?
ingestion
what is the next step in digestion?
propulsion
what are the two things that happen in propulsion?
deglutition and peristalsis
deglutition
swallowing & is a voluntary action
peristalsis
the smooth muscles in the walls of the digestive organs take turns contracting and relaxing to squeeze the bolus through the lumen, (the cavity of the digestive tract) from the esophagus to the stomach
what is the next thing to happen in digestion?
mixing in the stomach
what is mixing? and what is its process?
-mixing is the formation of chyme.
- when the food enters the stomach, the stomach glands produce gastric juices (acid) that mix with the bolus and form a semi-thick semi-solid partially digested ball of food called chyme that moves from the stomach to the first part of the small intestine
what are the parts of the small intestine in order?
duodenum, jejunum and ileum
what is the next step in the digestive process?
secretion of enzymes
what is the next step of the digestive process?
absorption
where does absorption happen? what happens?
*from the lumen of the intestines through the intestinal epithelium to the bloodstream
* The small intestine absorbs all the water, vitamins, and minerals of the digested food which are then absorbed into the bloodstream where it is carried to other parts of the body to be used or stored
Egestion
eliminating the undigested food from the body through the anus (pooping)
what are all the steps of the digestive system?
- ingestion
- propulsion
- mixing in the stomach
- secretion of enzymes
- absorption
- egestion
what are the organs involved in digestion?
- mouth
- esophagus
- the stomach
- the small intestine
- the large intestine
- liver
- pancreas
what happens in the mouth?
- the teeth do mechanical digestion of food into bolus
- the salivary glands (parotid, submandibular, and sublingual) secrete:
- salivary amylase
-mucins
what do the salivary gands secrete
salivary amylase and mucins
salivary amylase
enzyme that breaks down carbohydrates (specifically large starch macromolecules into small simple)
* this enzyme is important because it is the start of chemical digestion
mucins
acts as lubricants and buffers
* mucins are glycoproteins that form a protective layer in the oral cavity (mouth) and act as lubricant for the food and protect the mouth from strong acids and invading organisms
stomach
- smooth muscle contractions for mixing (this is apart of mechanical digestion)
- secretion of enzymes ( this is apart of chemical digestion)
what happens during the smooth muscle contraction of the stomach
- the food remains in the stomach for 3-4 hours
- No nutrients are absorbed in the stomach