25.1 General Anatomy and Digestive Processes Flashcards
digestive system
the organ system that processes food, extracts nutrients from it, and eliminates the residue
ingestion
the selective intake of food
digestion
the mechanical and chemical breakdown of food into a form useable by the body
absorption
the uptake of nutrient molecules into the epithelial cells of the digestive tract and then into the blood or lymph
compaction
absorbing water and consolidating the indigestible residue into feces
defecation
the elimination of feces
mechanical digestion
the physical breakdown of food into smaller particles
chemical digestion
a series of hydrolysis reactions that break dietary macromolecules into their monomers, carried out by digestive enzymes
digestive tract (alimentary canal)
a muscular tube: mouth, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine
gastrointestinal tract
stomach and intestines
accessory organs
teeth, tongue, salivary glands, liver, gallbladder, pancreas
mucosa (mucous membrane)
inner lining of the digestive tract, consisting of an epithelium, the lamina propria, and the muscularis mucosae
lamina propria
a thin layer of areolar tissue immediately deep to the epithelium of a mucous membrane
muscularis mucosae
a thin layer of smooth muscle immediately deep to the lamina propria of a mucosa
submucosa
a thicker layer of loose connective tissue containing blood vessels and lymphatics, a nerve plexus, and glands that secrete lubricating mucus into the lumen