Digestive System

Question 1

Passage of materials through the walls of the small intestine into the blood stream.

Answer 1

absorption

Question 2

Small building blocks of proteins, released when proteins are digested.

Answer 2

amino acids

Question 3

Enzyme secreted by the pancreas and salivary glands to digest starch.

Answer 3

amylase

Question 4

Terminal end or opening of the digestive tract to the outside of the body.

Answer 4

anus

Question 5

Blind pouch hanging from the cecum (in the RLQ). It literally means “hanging onto.” Has no clear function.

Answer 5

appendix

Question 6

Digestive juice made in the liver and stored in the gallbladder. It breaks up (emulsifies) large fat globules. It was originally called gall. It is composed of _____ pigments, cholesterol, and _____ salts.

Answer 6

bile

Question 7

Pigment released by the liver in bile.

Answer 7

bilirubin

Question 8

Intestine.

Answer 8

bowel

Question 9

Pointed, dog-like teeth next to the incisors. Also called cuspids or eyeteeth.

Answer 9

canine teeth

Question 10

First part of the large intestine.

Answer 10

cecum

Question 11

Portion of the large intestine consisting of the ascending, transverse, descending, and sigmoid segments.

Answer 11

colon

Question 12

Carries bile from the liver and gallbladder to the duodenum. Also called the choledochus.

Answer 12

common bile duct

Question 13

Elimination of feces from the digestive tract through the anus.

Answer 13

defecation

Question 14

Swallowing.

Answer 14

deglutition

Question 15

Primary material found in teeth. It is covered by the enamel in the crown and a protective layer of cementum in the root.

Answer 15

dentin

Question 16

Breakdown of complex foods into simpler forms.

Answer 16

digestion

Question 17

First part of the small intestine. Duo = 2, den = 10; it measures 12 inches long.

Answer 17

duodenum

Question 18

Removal of materials from the body; in the digestive system, the removal of indigestible materials as feces.

Answer 18

elimination

Question 19

Breaking up large fat globules into smaller globules. This increases the surface area that enzymes can use to digest the fat.

Answer 19

emulsification

Question 20

Hard, outermost layer of a tooth.

Answer 20

enamel

Question 21

Chemical that speeds up a reaction between substances. In digestion, they break down complex foods to simpler substances. Given names that end in -ase.

Answer 21

enzyme

Question 22

Tube connecting the throat to the stomach.

Answer 22

esophagus

Question 23

Substances produced when fats are digested.

Answer 23

fatty acids

Question 24

Solid wastes; stool.

Answer 24

feces

Question 25

Small sac under the liver which stores bile.

Answer 25

gallbladder

Question 26

Simple sugar.

Answer 26

glucose

Question 27

Starch. Glucose is stored in the form of _____ in liver cells.

Answer 27

glycogen

Question 28

Substance (strong acid) produced in the stomach. Aids digestion.

Answer 28

hydrochloric acid

Question 29

Third part of the small intestine from the Greek eilos, meaning twisted.

Answer 29

ileum

Question 30

Any one of the four front teeth in the dental arch.

Answer 30

incisor

Question 31

Hormone produced by the endocrine cells of the pancreas. It helps transport sugar into body cells.

Answer 31

insulin

Question 32

Second part of the small intestine. Comes from the Latin word for empty, as it was always empty when a body was examined after death.

Answer 32

jejunum

Question 33

Pancreatic enzyme necessary to digest fats.

Answer 33

lipase

Question 34

Large organ located in the RUQ of the abdomen. Secretes bile, stores sugar, iron, and vitamins, produces blood proteins, destroys worn-out red blood cells, and filters it toxins. An adult one weighs about 2-1/2 to 3 pounds.

Answer 34

liver

Question 35

Ring of muscles between the esophagus and the stomach. Also called the cardiac sphincter.

Answer 35

lower esophageal sphincter (LES)

Question 36

Chewing.

Answer 36

mastication

Question 37

Three large, flat teeth at the back of the mouth, on either side of the dental arch.

Answer 37

molar teeth

Question 38

Two teeth before the molars.

Answer 38

premolar teeth

Question 39

Roof of the mouth. Both hard (anterior, supported by the jawbone) and soft (posterior, fleshy, between the mouth and throat).

Answer 39

palate

Question 40

Organ behind the stomach. Produces insulin and enzymes.

Answer 40

pancreas

Question 41

Small projections on the tongue. Taste buds are located within them.

Answer 41

papillae

Question 42

Salivary gland within the cheek, just anterior to the ear.

Answer 42

parotid gland

Question 43

Rhythmic contractions of the tubular organs. In the gastrointestinal tract, it moves the contents through at different rates: stomach, 0.5 to 2 hours; small intestine, 2 to 6 hours; and colon, 6 to 72 hours.

Answer 43

peristalsis

Question 44

Throat, the common passageway for food from the mouth and for air from the nose.

Answer 44

pharynx

Question 45

Large vein bringing blood to the liver from the intestines.

Answer 45

portal vein

Question 46

Enzyme that suggests protein.

Answer 46

protease

Question 47

Soft tissue within a tooth, containing nerves and blood vessels.

Answer 47

pulo

Question 48

Ring of muscle at the end of the stomach, near the duodenum. From the Greek pyloros, meaning gatekeeper. It is normally closed, but opens when a wave of peristalsis passes over it.

Answer 48

pyloric sphincter

Question 49

Distal region of the stomach, opening to the duodenum.

Answer 49

pylorus

Question 50

Last section of the large intestine, connecting to the end of the colon and the anus.

Answer 50

rectum

Question 51

Ridges on the hard palate and the wall of the stomach.

Answer 51

rugae

Question 52

Digestive juice produced by salivary glands. Contains the enzyme amylase, which begins the digestion of starch to sugar.

Answer 52

saliva

Question 53

Parotid, sublingual, and submandibular glands.

Answer 53

salivary glands

Question 54

Lower, S-shaped segment of the colon, just before the rectum; empties into the rectum.

Answer 54

sigmoid colon

Question 55

Circular ring of muscle that constricts a passage or closes a natural opening.

Answer 55

sphincter

Question 56

Muscular organ that receives food from the esophagus. Has three parts: fundus, body, and antrum.

Answer 56

stomach

Question 57

Fat molecules composed of three parts fatty acids and one part glycerol. A subgroup of lipids.

Answer 57

triglycerides

Question 58

Soft tissue hanging from the middle of the soft palate.

Answer 58

uvula

Question 59

Microscopic projections in the wall of the small intestine that absorb nutrients into the bloodstream.

Answer 59

villi (singular, villus)