Digestion Flashcards
What is the digestive system?
A group of organs working together to turn food into nutrients , which the body uses for energy, growth and cell repair
What is the path of food?
mouth —> esophagus —> stomach —> small intestine —> large intestine —> rectum
What are the 3 main stages of digestion?
Mechanical, chemical and absorption
What do the teeth do? Is it a mechanical or chemical change?
They break down food into small pieces (mechanical)
What does saliva do? Is it a physical or chemical change?
It has enzymes that mix food to begin the process of breaking it down (chemical)
What does the tongue do?
It helps food and saliva mixed by combining them together to form a bolus
Where does the food go after it is chewed and formed into a bolus?
It goes to the pharynx
What does the epiglottis do?
It acts as a switch to route food to the esophagus and sir to the larynx and trachea
What is the pharynx commonly referred to as?
The throat
What two systems is the pharynx part of?
Digestive and respiratory
What’s the esophagus?
A muscular tube connecting the throat to the stomach
What does the esophagus do?
Secretes mucus and moves food from the throat to the stomach using muscle movement (peristalsis)
What is mechanical digestion in the stomach?
Muscle contractions called churning which mixes food from digestive glands
What is chemical digestion in the stomach?
The stomach contains hydrochloric acid and digestive enzymes that continue the digestion of food
What does acid in the stomach do?
It kills bacteria
What are sphincters and what do they do?
Valves at the beginning and end of the stomach that control the flow of food through it
What do villi do?
They increase the surface are of absorption
How are nutrients absorbed into the bloodstream?
Through the small intestine walls
Where does leftover waste from the small intestine go?
It continues through the large intestine
What does the large intestine do?
It absorbs water and nutrients the small intestine didn’t absorb
What does the liver do?
Produces bile and secretes it into the small intestine
What does the gallbladder do?
It stores and recycles excess bile from the small intestine so that it can be reused again later
What does the pancreas do?
It secretes digestive enzymes into the small intestine to complete the chemical digestion of food
What is bile made of?
Mostly cholesterol and bile acids
