Body Systems Flashcards
What do teeth do?
Teeth are the organs of chewing, which is also known as mastication.
Teeth cut, tear and grind food in the mouth, enabling it to be mixed with saliva (from the salivary glands) effectively and therefore swallowed more easily. The actions performed by teeth are all a form of mechanical digestion.
What does saliva do?
A watery liquid secreted into the mouth by glands, providing lubrication for chewing and swallowing, and aiding digestion. It contains water, mucus, and enzymes.
What does the tongue do?
A muscular organ in the mouth that can taste and mix food with saliva, and push the food into the esophagus.
What does the oesophagus do?
A muscular tube that connects the mouth to the stomach.
What does the stomach do?
A muscular sac that physically and chemically breaks down food.
What does the duodenum do?
The first part of the small intestine. It is involved in both the chemical digestion of food and its absorption into the blood stream.
What does the small intestine do?
A winding tightly folded tube about 7m long that connects the stomach to the large intestine. Most of the food a person consumes is digested and absorbed in this organ.
What does the large intestine do?
About 2 m long and twice the diameter of the small intestine. This organ accepts food remains from the small intestine, removes water, and stores and removes waste from the body.
What does the rectum do?
A short tube at the end of the large intestine where waste material is compressed into a solid form before being eliminated.
What do the salivary glands do?
A group of glands found under and behind the tongue and beneath the jaw that releases saliva continually as well as in response to the thought, sight, smell, or presence of food.
What does the gall bladder do?
An organ that stores bile and releases it as needed into the small intestine.
What does the liver do?
A large dark red organ with multiple functions. One of is primary functions in the production of bile.
What does the pancreas do?
An organ of the digestive system with two roles. The first is to produce digestive enzymes which are delivered to the small intestine. The second is to secrete insulin into the bloodstream to help regulate blood glucose levels.
What is bile?
A substance produced by the liver that breaks up fat particles.
What does the anus do?
A muscular opening at the end of the rectum through which waste material is eliminated from the body.
