Digestive System

Question 1

What are the 4 stages of digestion?

Answer 1

Ingestion, digestion, absorption, elimination

Question 2

What are the 2 types of digestion? Explain.

Answer 2

Mechanical: Chewing/ Churning of the stomach. Chops and grinds food, increasing the surface area.
Chemical: Breaks the chemical bonds of large molecules such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins. Produces smaller molecules during hydrolysis.

Question 3

Define Hydrolysis

Answer 3

Process that breaks down bonds in food molecules by adding water to them in the presence of specific enzymes.

Question 4

What enzyme breaks down starch?

Answer 4

Amylase

Question 5

What enzyme breaks down protein?

Answer 5

Trypsin

Question 6

What enzyme breaks down fats?

Answer 6

Lipase

Question 7

Where does absorption occur?

Answer 7

Small intestine. From there, the molecules enter the blood stream/circulatory system

Question 8

How are undigested materials eliminated?

Answer 8

They are moved through the colon and eliminated as feces.

Question 9

What is the alimentary canal?

Answer 9

A digestive tract with two openings, a mouth and an anus. Also known as the GI (gastrointestinal) tract.

Question 10

What are the 6 main organs of the GI tract

Answer 10

Mouth, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, small intestine and colon

Question 11

Bonus: What is a hermaphrodite?

Answer 11

A person with both ovaries and testes

Question 12

What are the accessory glands and organs of the digestive tract?

Answer 12

Salivary glands, pancreas, liver gallbladder

Question 13

What is saliva composed of?

Answer 13

Digestive enzymes, mucus and other chemicals to help chemically digest food

Question 14

By what process does food move from the pharynx to the stomach

Answer 14

Peristalsis

Question 15

What is the epiglottis?

Answer 15

A cartilage flap that temporarily seals off the airway and prevents food from moving into the airway as it passes through the pharynx into the esophagus when you swallow.

Question 16

When is the clump of food called the bolus and when is it called chyme?

Answer 16

When the lump of food is in the throat it is the bolus, when in the stomach and turned into an acidic, nutrient-rich liquid.

Question 17

Names of the 2 sphincters and their location.

Answer 17

Cardiac and pyloric, above and below stomach

Question 18

What are the names of each section of the small intestine?

Answer 18

1. Duodenum 2. Jejunum 3. Ileum

Question 19

What lines the inside of the small intestine?

Answer 19

The wall of the small intestine is folded into finger-like projections called villi.

Question 20

What are lymph vessels?

Answer 20

Structures that carry fluid from cells

Question 21

GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) description and treatment

Answer 21

Occurs when acid from the stomach spills up into the esophagus frequently enough to harm the lining of the esophagus.
Avoid smoking, alcohol and excess eating. Antacids to neutralize stomach acid. Sometimes surgery to strengthen the muscle between your stomach and esophagus.

Question 22

Ulcer description and treatment

Answer 22

Sores found in the stomach lining, esophagus or upper small intestine. Caused by lining being broken down and irritated by gastric acid.
Blood test, feces/stool test to detect presence of H. pylori bacteria (cause of most ulcers, barium x-ray (barium coats the lining of the organ and make the ulcer more visible), endoscopy.

Question 23

IBD (inflammatory bowel disease) description and treatment

Answer 23

Intestines become irritated and inflamed and develop many ulcers, causing abdominal pain or diarrhea. Ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease.
Still being researched, could be a type of allergic reaction, specific diet may help.

Question 24

Constipation description and treatment

Answer 24

Peristalsis moves feces too slowly or colon absorbs too much water and feces become too compact. Usually temporary, caused by a diet lacking fiber.
To avoid it: Eat lots of fiber, drink a least 1L of water every day and exercise.

Question 25

Diarrhea description and treatment

Answer 25

If colon is irritated it may not absorb as much water as it should, resulting in diarrhea.
Is a symptom of another disease, most will resolve within a few days however it could be more serious like IBD.