2 - Food Intake, Digestion & Absorbtion Flashcards
Soluble
Disposed to being dissolved.
General Circulation
The flow of blood throughout the body.
Monounsaturated Fat
Fatty acid containing one double or triple bond between carbons.
Triglyceride
Compound with three molecules of fatty acids bound with one molecule of glycerol; the storage form of fat for humans.
Oxidation
Increase of positive charges on an atom or the loss of negative charges; the opposite reaction is reduction.
GI Tract
Gastrointestinal Tract - The long tube through the body composed of stomach and intestines.
Calorie
Amount of energy required to raise the temperature of one kilogram of water by 1 degree Celsius; equal to 4184 Joules.
Organic Molecules
Relating to or containing carbon compounds.
Adenosine Diphosphate
Nucleotide produced in living cells; made up of adenosine and two phosphate groups, reversibly renewed to ATP for energy transfer.
Mastication
To grind, crush and chew food.
Bolus
A formed mass of soft, partially chewed food.
Bile
Fluid produced by the liver and stored in the gallbladder, ultimately secreted into the small intestine to alkalinize and emulsify foodstuffs.
Enterocyte
Absorptive cell of the intestine.
Villi
Small projections (singular: villus) covering the surface of the mucous membrane lining the small intestine, through which nutrients and fluids are absorbed.
Amylase
Of pancreatic and salivary origin, this enzyme catalyzes the hydrolysis (splitting) of starch into smaller compounds.
Lipase
Catalyzes the splitting of fats into glycerol and fatty acids.
Pharynx
Throat.
Epiglottis
Lid-like cartiliginous structure suspended over the entrance of the larynx; swallowing closes the opening to the trachea by placing the larynx against the epiglottis.
Lower Esophageal Sphincter
Also known as the cardiac sphincter, a thick, muscular ring surrounding the opening between the esophagus and stomach.
Gastroesophageal Reflux
GERD. Condition in which acidic stomach contents flow back up into the esophagus.
Peristalsis
Waves of involuntary muscle contraction moving the contents of the GI tract forward.
Chyme
Partly digested food formed as a semi-fluid mass.
Pyloric Sphincter
Thick, muscular ring of mucous membrane surrounding the opening between the stomach and the duodenum.
Hiatal Hernia
Protrusion of the stomach through the esophageal hiatus of the diaphragm.
Hydrochloric Acid
Solution of hydrogen chloride in water; found in gastric juice.
pH
Measure of acidity and alkalinity; lower numbers are more acidic; higher numbers are more alkaline; 7 is neutral.