Alimentary Canal Flashcards
Chemical digestion
Breakdown of large insoluble molecules to smaller soluble molecules
Physical digestion
Breakdown of food into smaller pieces without chemical change to the food molecules
Mouth function
Mechanical digestion, breaks down food into smaller pieces to aid in digestion
Salivary gland function
Chemical digestion, produces amylase which breaks down starch into maltose
Oesphagus function
Carries food and liquids from your mouth to your stomach
Stomach function
Contains muscles that contract and churn the food with the digestive juices to breakdown the food
Hydrochloric acid kills the harmful microorganisms whilst maintaining the optimum pH for enzyme activity
Liver function
Produces bile
- detoxifies alcohols
-transamination
-deamination
Bile function
Emulsifies fats to increase their surface area for enzymes to digest them
An alkaline mixture that neutralizes the acidic mixture of food and gastric acids entering the duodenum from the stomach
Produces an optimum pH for enzyme activity
Pancreas function
Produces pancreatic juices to digest substances
E.g. amylase, protease, lipase
Where are carbohydrase produced and used in? (Amylase)
Produced: salivary glands and pancreas
Used in: mouth and duodenum
Product: starch –> maltose
Where are protease produced and used? (Trypsin, pepsin)
Produced: stomach and pancreas
Used in: stomach and small intestine
Product: proteins –> amino acids
Where are lipase produced and used?
Produced: pancreas
Used in: small intestine
Product: fats and oils –> fatty acids and glycerol
Small intestine function
Further digests food with pancreatic juices
Most water is absorbed here, but some are absorbed in the colon
Large intestine function
Absorbs water and electrolytes, producing and absorbing vitamins, and forming and propelling feces toward rectum for excretion
Villi
Tiny hair-like projections made out of cells that line the entire length of the small intestine. Absorbs nutrients and shuttles them to your blood stream
