The Digestive System Flashcards
(31 cards)
What is digestion
Process of breaking down food into nutrient molecules small enough to absorb
Name the 6 parts of the digestive tract
Mouth, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine
What are digestive glands
Glands that make chemical secretions needed to digest food
What are the 5 digestive glands
Salivary glands, gastric glands, intestinal glands, liver, pancreas
Where does indigestion occur
The mouth bitch
How many glands produce saliva to break down carbs
3
T/F: salivary glands have antibacterial properties
True
What are the two “mechanical digestive” methods that are used in the mouth.
A) food is crushed and ground by chewing
B) food is mixed w saliva
What is a “chemical digestion” method used in the mouth?
Saliva has the enzyme “salivary amylase” which breaks down starch
What is the first stop in the digestive system?
The mouth
What is the second stop in the digestive system?
Pharynx
What occurs in the pharynx?
Swallowing occurs. The epiglottis covers over the windpipe allowing the food the go down to the esophagus.
How does swallowing occur/what happens before the food enters the esophagus
The epiglottis covers over the windpipe/trachea allowing the food the go down to the esophagus.
What is the third stop of the digestive system
Esophagus
What is the esophagus
Stretchy pipe connecting the pharynx to the stomach
How is the food pushed down the esophagus
Via peristalsis (contractions of muscles)
What are the three functions of the stomach
-stores of up 2L of food/water
-breaks down food into liquid mixture
-emits liquid mixture into the small intestine
What “mechanical transformation” method occurs in the stomach?
Churning: when food Is mixed w gastric juices from gastric glands via muscular contractions (peristalsis)
What “chemical transformation” method occurs in the stomach?
Inside of the gastric juices, the is an enzyme “pepsin” which breaks down proteins into amino acids.
What is the fifth stop of the digestive system
Small intestine
Where can you find vili, and what’s the purpose of it
It’s lined on the small intestine which increases the surface area. This will increase how fast and how many nutrients can be absorbed.
Of macronutrients and micronutrients, how are they absorbed
Micronutrients: directly absorbed
Macronutrients: broken down, then absorbed
What is the purpose of the small intestine
Transports nutrients into the bloodstream to be absorbed by blood or lymph.
What does bile do and what produces it
The liver produces bile to break down fats into chunks so that lipase can further break them down. It is a yellow acid which is liquid that can be thrown up.
