LO3 The Digestive System Flashcards
(90 cards)
What is the role of the epiglottis?
to prevent food from flowing into the trachea
What is mastication?
chewing and breaking down food with the teeth and tongue
What is the name of when food becomes broken down and forms what?
becomes a bolus
How does the balus pass down the oesophagus?
The balus passes down the oesophagus in a wave like action by peristalsis (mechanical digestion)
What is the waste product of digestion?
Faeces that passes through the rectum and out of the anus
What is digestion?
the process of breaking down food into its component chemicals. Once food is broken down into its essential building blocks then our body is able to absorb these and use them to allow the body to function, grow and repair itself.
What is mechanical digestion?
Mechanical digestion is the physical breakdown of food
What is peristalsis?
A mechanical process, which is the movement of muscles in the oesophagus which pushes the bolus down the oesophagus and towards the stomach.
What are lipids?
molecules that are made up of fatty acids and glyercol, and are broken down by lipase.
What are the walls of the small intestine lined with?
villi
What blood vessels can be found in each of the villi in the small intestine?
Capillaries
What is the other structure within each villus and what does it do?
lacteal, it absorbs fats
What 3 food molecules is the small intestine responsible for absorbing?
lipids, proteins, carbohydrates
What does food become after it has been churned in the stomach?
chyme
What is the role of the villi?
absorbs nutrients in the bloodstream
How does the bolus pass down the oesphogaus?
in a wave like action
What do the pancreatic juices do during digestion?
They contain enzymes so they break down fats, proteins and carbohydrates and neutralises stomach acid
What is the role of bile?
- neutralises stomach acid
- helps break down fat
What does fat emulsification mean?
breaks down food so it’s easier for enzymes to break down
What is bolus?
the mass of chewed food at the moment of swallowing
What is chyme?
the mass of semi-food liquid once it passes from the stomach into the small intestine
What is the role of the salivary glands?
produce saliva which contains water to moisten and dissolve food, and enzymes (amylase) to start the digestion of carbohydrates. The bolus needs to be lubricated so that it will not damage the soft tissue of the oesophagus when it is passing through.
What are the functions of the stomach?
- produces stomach acid (hydrochloric) which will kill any harmful micro-organisms if they’ve been swalllowed
- there are enzymes in the stomach juices which begin the process of breaking down proteins
- muscles around the stomach help to move the food around, churning it so that it gets coated in the digestive juices
What is the oesophagus?
the muscular tube that carries the bolus of food from the back of the baccalaureate cavity to the stomach by involuntary smooth muscle contractions called peristalsis