Digestion and Nutrition Flashcards
Digestive groups responsible for
breaking down food into smaller components, absorbing food into the body, getting rid of waste that cannot be digested
Main organs of digestive system
mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine (colon, rectum, anus)
Accessory organs
liver, gallbladder, pancreas
Breaking food down
physical-chewing
chemical-stomach acid
Basic components: macromolecules
protein-broken down into amino acids
carbohydrates-broken down into glucose
lipids- broken down into glucose
nucleic acids
Vitamins
assist in enzyme function, turned into molecules that makes things happen, organic
Minerals
inorganic, necessary to make amino acids
Mouth
critical parts of digestion, physical breakdown of food
Salivary glands
produce amylase, break down food, especially starches, chemically
-Suffix “ase” in biology is always n enzyme
Chewing is important because
chewing increases surface area, larger to surface area to volume ratio
Esophagus
Bolus now, peristalsis-contractions to push food through, lower esophagus sphincter opens and closes in coordination of peristalsis
Stomach
most of protein digestion, physical digestion through churning,
stomach lining, rugae, to increase surface area to absorb more nutrients and so that it can expand and contract more
Stomach Enzyme
hydrochloric acid, very low pH, kills unwanted microorganisms and digests food
Produces pepsin which significantly increases digestion
Digested mixture is known as chyme
Stomach protection
mucus lining, when lining is damaged or disrupted then you get ulcers, causes: NSAIDs stress, bacterial infection
Small intestine
Pyloric sphincter opens (end of stomach) and chyme enters duodenum. digests fats, carbs, and rest of protein
Liver
processes vitamins, digesting fats by producing bile, which is stored in the gallbladder
-Bile gets broken down in intestine and turns brown, too quickly, green, light colored is gallbladder obstruction or not getting enough bile
Pancreas
Produces bicarbonate which neutralizes acidic stomach acid, produces enzymes which further digest chyme, also produces insulin
Pancreas
Produces bicarbonate which neutralizes acidic stomach acid, produces enzymes which further digest chyme, also produces insulin
Small intestine absorbtion
villi and microvilli increase surface area as well as circular folds
Large intestine
absorb any remaining water in the chyme, some absorption still, mainly made up of colon, start is cecum which herbivores store plants for a long time for digestion
Appendix
attached to cecum, considered vestigial but keeps a backup of micro-biome to help ‘reboot’ system.
It can become infected very easily because of small opening, resulting in appendicitis
Colon anatomy
cecum, appendix, ascending colon, transverse colon, descending colon, sigmoid colon, anus
IBD
diarrhea, weight loss, abdominal pain, cramping, fatigue, inflammation, no cure- medications, steroids, antibiotics
New treatments: immunomodulators- change way immune system works
Biologic therapy- taking tissue from another organism
UC vs Crohns
Crohn’s: inflammation can develop anywhere in digestion tract, appear in patches, disease can extend through entire thickness of tract, higher relapse rates
