Ch 5 - Digestive System Vocab Flashcards
absorption
Passage of materials through the walls of the small intestine into the bloodstream.
amino acids
Small building blocks of proteins (like links in a chain), released when proteins are digested.
amylase
Enzyme (-ase) secreted by the pancreas and salivary glands to digest starch (amyl/o).
anus
Terminal end or opening of the digestive tract to the outside of the body.
appendix
Blind pouch hanging from the cecum (in the right lower quadrant [RLQ]). It literally means hanging (pend/o) onto (ap-, which is a form of ad-).
bile
Digestive juice made in the liver and stored in the gallbladder. It breaks up (emulsifies) large fat globules. Bile originally was called gall (Latin bilis, meaning gall or anger), probably because it has a bitter taste. It is composed of bile pigments (colored materials), cholesterol, and bile salts.
bilirubin
Pigment released by the liver in bile.
bowel
Intestine.
canine teeth
Pointed, dog-like teeth (canine means pertaining to dog) next to the incisors. Also called cuspids or eyeteeth.
cecum
First park of the large intestine.
colon
Portion of the large intestine consisting of the ascending, transverse, descending, and sigmoid segments.
common bile duct
Carries bile from the liver and gallbladder to the duodenum. Also called the choledochus.
defecation
Elimination of feces from the digestive tract through the anus.
deglutition
Swallowing.
dentin
Primary material found in teeth. It is covered by the enamel in the crown and a protective layer of cementum in the root.
digestion
Breakdown of complex foods to simpler forms.
duodenum
First part of the small intestine. Duo = 2, den = 10; the duodenum measures 12 inches long.
elimination
Act of removal of materials from the body; in the digestive system, the removal of indigestible materials as feces.
emulsification
Physical process of breaking up large fat globules into smaller globules, thereby increasing the surface area that enzymes can use to digest the fat.
enamel
Hard, outermost layer of a tooth.
enzyme
Chemical that speeds up a reaction between substances. Digestive enzymes break down complex foods to simpler substances. Enzymes are given names that end in -ase.
esophagus
Tube connecting the throat to the stomach. Eso- means inward; phag/o means swallowing.
fatty acids
Substances produced when fats are digested. Fatty acids are a category of lipids.