Digestive system parts Flashcards
What is the Oral Cavity?
The hollow organ where ingestion occurs
Function of lips?
Assist in speech
Functions of teeth?
Strongest substance in the body.
* Incisors bite
* Canines rip and tear food
* Molars and pre-molars grind food
Functions and definition of tongue?
Large muscle inside the mouth that:
* Mixes food with saliva
* Pushes food under teeth when chewing * Assists swallowing
* Enables speech
What is mucus?
Mucus is a slimy substance in saliva.
It helps the food slip down your throat!
What makes saliva?
Salivary glands
Nasal cavity definition?
Area between nostrils and back of throat which filters and warms air for breathing
Epiglottis definition?
Lid-like structure in the throat that automatically closes the windpipe when swallowing, making sure food goes down the food pipe (oesophagus).
Wind pipe (trachea) definition?
The long continuous cartilage tube running from mouth to lungs that transports airs to the lungs for breathing
Oesophagus definition?
The long continuous muscular tube running from mouth to stomach that transports swallowed balls of food called bolus with slow muscle contractions known as peristalsis.
Oesophagus function?
Passes food down to your stomach
Do the liver and pancreas form part of the long tube running from mouth to anus?
The liver and pancreas are accessory organs that don’t form part of the long tube running from mouth to anus but still play an important role in digesting food.
Stomach definition?
The large muscular bag between the oesophagus and the small intestines that temporarily stores bolus to slow down digestion.
How long is the small intestine?
In humans, the small intestine is about 6 meters long!
Definition of the small intestine?
The long muscular tube running from stomach to the start of the large intestine when digested food gets absorbed into the blood stream. Food moves down the small intestines through the process of peristalsis.
The small intestines have many fold and extensions called villi which increases the surface area available for absorption
Small intestine function?
The small intestines absorbs all the nutrients you eat into the blood stream, so it is important that the blood stream (veins and arteries) are close to the surface of the villi.
Appendix function and definition?
A small tail found at the junction between the small intestines and the large intestines. The appendix’s function is unknown in human digestion but may store good bacteria. It can sometimes get infected and cause appendicitis.
Large intestines (colon) definition and function?
The thicker intestines running from the end of the small intestines to the rectum where food forms into faeces as water is absorbed.
Rectum function and definition?
The ending of the large intestine where faeces is temporarily stores before it is defecated
Anus definition and function?
The final muscular opening at the end of the digestive system where faeces leaves the body
Ingestion definition?
the intake of food by biting, chewing and swallowing
Digestion definition?
the mechanical and chemical process that converts insoluble food into soluble nutrients
Absorption definition?
when soluble nutrients are taken up by the blood stream
Egestion definition?
when undigested food materials, called faeces, pass out of the body
