B6.2 - Alimentary canal

Question 1

What are the 5 processes of the alimentary canal

Answer 1

Ingestion 
Digestion
Absorption
Assimilation
Egestion

Question 2

What is digestion

Answer 2

breaking down of large food molecules into smaller water-soluble molecules using mechanical and chemical processes

Question 3

What is ingestion

Answer 3

taking in of substance i.e food and drink into the body through the mouth

Question 4

What is absorption

Answer 4

movement of small food molecules through the wall of the intestine into the blood

Question 5

What is assimilation

Answer 5

movement of digested food molecules into cells where they can be used to produce other molecules or in respiration

Question 6

What is egestion

Answer 6

passing out of food that has not been digested, through the anus, as feces

Question 7

What is the alimentary canal

Answer 7

it is a continuous tube through the body from the mouth where food is ingested to the anus where the remaining food is egested

Question 8

What parts of the body pass food down the alimentary canal

Answer 8

mouth, oesophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine and anus

Question 9

function of the mouth

Answer 9

for teeth and tongue to break down food into smaller pieces

Question 10

What parts of the digestive system are not in the alimentary canal

Answer 10

pancreas, liver, salivary glands and gall bladder

Question 11

function of the salivary glands

Answer 11

to produce liquid saliva which moistens food to be easily swallowed.

Contains enzymes such as amylase to begin breakdown of starch

Question 12

function of the oesophagus

Answer 12

to move the food from the mouth to the stomach via waves of muscle contraction called peristalsis

Question 13

function of the liver

Answer 13

To make bile.

Excess glucose is stored as glycogen in liver cells

Proteins are broken down to form urea passed to the kidneys for excretion

Question 14

Function of gall bladder

Answer 14

To store bile from liver and to pass it along the bile duct into the small intestine.

Bile neutralizes the stomach acids

Question 15

Function of pancreas

Answer 15

to secrete digestive enzymes in an alkaline fluid into the small intestine

Question 16

Function of large intestine (colon)

Answer 16

to absorb the rest of the water from the remaining foot material

Question 17

Function of the anus

Answer 17

feces are egested through here

Question 18

Fibre helps keep

Answer 18

food molecules clumped together called bolus to be bulky and soft making peristalsis easier

Question 19

What is mechanical digestion

Answer 19

breaking down bigger pieces of food into smaller pieces using force. It can be done via mastication (chewing) from the teeth, by stomach contracting and by bile

Question 20

What is chemical digestion

Answer 20

breaking down larger food molecules into smaller soluble particles to be able to pass through the bile in the bloodstream with the use of digestive enzymes

Question 21

Where are digestive enzymes located

Answer 21

the salivary glands, stomach, pancreas and small intestine

Question 22

Absorption of food happens in

Answer 22

the iluem

Question 23

What are the two parts of the small intestine and their functions

Answer 23

Duodenum: responsible for the rest of digestion with the help of digestive enzymes and bile

Ileum: Where food molecules are absorbed through the blood stream via diffusion with the help of small villi. Most water is absorbed into the blood

Question 24

Why is it necessary to breakdown large, insoluble food molecules into smaller, soluble molecules?

Answer 24

Large, insoluble food molecules can’t be absorbed into the bloodstream.

Small, soluble molecules can be absorbed into the bloodstream and used to construct new carbohydrates, proteins and lipids in the body.

Some glucose produced by digestion is used for respiration.

Question 25

Why are feces relatively dry

Answer 25

because water has been removed from food remains and absorbed by the small intestine and large intestine and diffused into the blood stream