Unit 1 Topic 1.2: Gastrointestinal tract

Question 1

The gastrointestinal tract organs :

Answer 1

• Oral cavity
• Oesophagus and stomach (upper digestive tract),
• Small and large intestines (lower digestive tract)
• Accessary organs (salivary glands, pancreas, liver and gallbladder)

Question 2

The digestive system uses 3 main processes to move and mix food:

Answer 2

• Swallowing – the process of using smooth and skeletal muscles in the mouth, tongue, and pharynx to push food out of the mouth, through the pharynx, and into the oesophagus.
• Peristalsis - muscular wave that travels the length of the GI tract, moving partially digested food a short distance down the tract. It takes many waves of peristalsis for food to travel from the oesophagus, through the stomach and intestines, and reach the end of the GI tract.
• Segmentation - occurs in the small intestine as short segments of intestine contract and squeeze pushing the food along. Increases the absorption of nutrients by mixing food and increasing contact with the walls of the intestine.