Alimentary Canal Flashcards
What organs secrete enzymes?`
Mouth, stomach and small intestine.
Where does absorption take place?
Small intestine [absorption of nutrients and digested food] and the large intestine [absorption of water and mineral salts].
What is the main function of salivary gland?
It secretes saliva which contains salivary amylase that acts on starch.
What is the function of the teeth?
It cuts and grind food into smaller pieces which increases the surface area for enzymes to act on.
What is another name for the gullet?
Oesophagus
What is the function of the liver?
It secretes bile for physical digestion of fats [known as the process called emulsification].
The function of the pancreas?
Secretes pancreatic juices that contains enzymes for digestive carbohydrates, fats and proteins in small intestine.
Which 3 organs are the secondary organs in the alimentary canal?
Liver, Gall bladder and Pancreas.
Where is bile stored at?
Gall badder.
where is bile produced at?
Liver
Is emulsification a physical or chemical reaction?
Physical Reaction as no enzymes involved.
The function of bile.
[Breaks down fats into smaller fat droplets.]
What is the term for fats being broken down by bile?
Fat globule.
Function of fat globule?
provides larger surface area for enzyme lipase to digest fats more effectively and efficiently.
Is bile an enzyme?
No it is not.
What enzymes are secreted in the pancreas?
Pancreatic amylase, pancreatic lipase, and pancreatic protease.
What is the process called when food is swallowed down by the oesophagus?
Peristalsis.
What does the tongue do?
- Roll food into small bolus.
- Push the boli to the back of the mouth and down into the oesophagus.
What happens to bacteria in the large intestine?
It makes vitamins for the body.
Where is faeces stored at before defecation?
Rectum.
Why must food be digested?
break down large food molecules into smaller food molecules, to allow it to pass through the partially permeable membrane in our body to the bloodstream.
Why does the digestion of fats change the pH value of solution?
Fats are digested by lipase to glycerol and fatty acids, fatty acids cause the pH value to decrease (as they are acidic).
Why is it recommended that insulin should be injected directly to the blood stream instead of being ingested?
If ingested insulin, it will be broken down by proteases into polypeptides/amino acids, in the stomach and small intestines. As such, it would be recommended to be injected directly to bloodstream.
Where does peristalsis take place in the human body?
The large intestine and the oesophagus.
