Digestive System Flashcards
(20 cards)
What is the main function of the digestive system?
Break down food into small molecules for absorption.
Name three accessory organs of the digestive system.
Liver, pancreas, gallbladder.
What is mechanical digestion?
Physical breakdown of food (chewing, churning).
What is chemical digestion?
Enzyme breakdown of food into smaller molecules.
Which enzyme breaks down starch?
Amylase (saliva, pancreas).
What are the four layers of the digestive tract wall?
Mucosa, submucosa, muscularis, serosa.
What is peristalsis?
Wavelike muscle contractions that move food through the tract.
What are the three muscle layers of the stomach?
Longitudinal, circular, oblique.
What do parietal cells produce?
Hydrochloric acid (HCl) and intrinsic factor.
Name the three phases of stomach secretion.
Cephalic (sight/smell), gastric (food), intestinal (chyme in intestine).
What structures increase absorption in the small intestine?
Plicae, villi, microvilli.
Name the three parts of the small intestine.
Duodenum, jejunum, ileum.
What is the main function of the large intestine?
Reabsorb water, form feces.
What hormone triggers bile release?
Cholecystokinin (CCK).
What is the function of bile?
Combine fats for digestion.
What enzymes does the pancreas produce?
Amylase, lipase, protease.
What is the role of the hepatic portal vein?
Carries nutrient-rich blood from intestines to liver.
What causes jaundice?
Buildup of bile pigments in the blood.
What is the gastrocolic reflex?
Mass movement in colon triggered by eating.
What is the defecation reflex?
The rectum stretching makes the sphincter relax and starts muscle movements that push waste out.
