Digestive system Flashcards
Where does digestion begin
mouth
What enzyme does saliva include and what does it do
amylase, breaks down starchs and carbohydrates
What else does saliva do
lubricates the mouth
What is the muscular tube that connects the mouth and the stomach
oesophagus
What does the epiglottis do
covers the entry point to the lungs when chewing so they don’t choke
What is peristalsis
the process in which a muscle contracts and relaxes to create waves
How does food make its way to the stomach
through the oesophagus using peristalsis
What is the sphincter
a ring like muscle that controls the stomach acids entry into the oesophagus so that it doesn’t burn the lining
What does gastric acid include
mucus, hydrochloric acid, digestive acids
how many times can the stomach enlarge itself
60 times
How long is the small intestine
6 m when unfurled
How does the stomach chemically digest food?
hydrochloric acid releases an enzyme called pepsim that digests protein
Whats the role of the small intestine
absorbs nutrients
What are villi, their function and singular name
villi are found in the small intestine, their role is to increase surface area and absorb more nutrients, they are called villus and contain blood vessels.
Which digestive enzymes are released by the pancreas
Proteases, amylase, lipase
What do proteases, amylase and lipase do?
Proteases break down protein
Amylase breaks down carbs
lipase breaks down fats
Where is bile created?
liver
Gallbladder and bile duct roles?
Gallbladder stores bile, bile duct transports it.
Size of the large intestine
1.5m
large intestine role
absorbs water, minerals and vitamins
Rectum role
stores undigested waste that will later be released as faeces
anal sphincter role
contracts and releases with bowel movement to release faeces
duodenum role
Duodenum’s role is to mix food with enzymes and bile to digest it.
pancreas role
Pancreatic hormones help regulate your blood sugar levels and appetite, stimulate stomach acids, and tell your stomach when to empty.
