The Digestive System Flashcards
(18 cards)
What is mechanical digestion?
The physical breakdown of food into smaller pieces through processes like chewing and churning.
What is chemical digestion?
The breakdown of food using enzymes and chemicals into molecules small enough to be absorbed.
What is peristalsis?
Wave-like muscle contractions that move food through the digestive tract.
What is chyme?
The partially digested food mixture that forms in the stomach which contains bile.
What is bile?
A green substance produced by the liver that helps break down and absorb fats.
What are enzymes in digestion?
Proteins that speed up the breakdown of specific nutrients during chemical digestion.
e.g Lipases:Digests fats in the gut, Amylase:Helps change starches into sugars, in saliva, Pepsin: Digests proteins found in ingested food.
What are villi?
Finger-like projections in the small intestine that increase surface area for nutrient absorption.
What is saliva?
A digestive fluid in the mouth that contains enzymes to begin breaking down carbohydrates.
What are gastric juices?
Digestive fluids in the stomach that include hydrochloric acid and enzymes to break down proteins.
What is the digestive tract?
The continuous tube from mouth to anus through which food passes during digestion.
What is the function of the esophagus?
A muscular tube that moves food from the throat to the stomach using peristalsis.
What is the function of the stomach?
Breaks down food through mechanical and chemical digestion, producing chyme.
What is the function of the small intestine?
The main site of nutrient absorption, where most digested nutrients enter the bloodstream.
What is the function of the large intestine?
Absorbs water and minerals, forms feces by turning waste into stool, and houses beneficial bacteria.
What is the function of the liver in digestion?
Produces and secrets bile for fat digestion and processes nutrients absorbed from the intestine.
What is the function of the pancreas?
Produces digestive enzymes and hormones that regulate blood sugar levels.
What is the function of the gallbladder?
Stores and concentrates bile from the liver, releasing it into the small intestine to aid in fat digestion.
What is the function of the digestive system?
To break down food into smaller molecules that the body can absorb and use for energy, growth, and cell repair, and also removes waste products from the body
