Digestion System Flashcards
What is digestion?
Mechanical and chemical breakdown of foods into forms that the body cells can absorb
What is the alimentary canal?
Organs that form a pathway that extends from the mouth to the anus
What is churning?
Mixing of substances
What is peristalsis?
Movement of substances through the esophagus to the stomach
What is the mouth responsible for?
Responsible for initiating digestion using chewing and saliva
What is mastication?
Means chewing
What does the salivary glands do?
Make saliva
Function of the teeth? How many teeth in the mouth?
Function is to decrease size of food particles.
32 teeth in mouth; 16 on lower and upper jaw
Function of the pharynx
Throat; passageway between oral and esophagus
Function of the esophagus
Is the tube that connects the mouth to the stomach by way of peristalsis
Function of the stomach
receives food from esophagus; continues breaking down food using gastric juices
- located in upper left quadrant
Function of small intestine
Main site of absorption of nutrients
Which sections can be found in the small intestine
- duodenum
- jejunum
- ileum
Function of the large intestine
Is also known as the colon
- responsible for absorption of nutrients
What sections can be found in the large intestine?
- cecum that connects to the ileum
- ascending colon
- transverse colon
- descending colon
- sigmoid colon
Function of the liver
Produces bile needed to breakdown fats
- located upper right quadrant
Function of the gallbladder
Stores bile; connects to duodenum
Function of the pancreas
Connects to duodenum; produces enzymes that aid in digestion
Function of the appendix
Serves as reservoir for beneficial bacteria; helps the body to fight disease
What are the needed nutrients for the body?
- carbohydrates
- proteins
- lipids (fat)
- vitamins
- minerals
- water
What does the body do to carbohydrates?
Breaks carbohydrates down into glucose
What does lipids do?
Function as energy; serve as structural components of cell membranes
Function of proteins
Required for the structure, function, and regulation of body’s tissues and organs
Function of vitamins
Needed for normal growth and development
Function of minerals
Needed for keeping bones, muscles, etc to keep working properly
- found in bones and teeth
What are the fat soluble vitamins? (4 of them)
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin D
- Vitamin E
- Vitamin K
What are the water soluble vitamins?
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin H
- Vitamin B complex
What is appendicitis?
inflammation and infection of the appendix
Cholelithiasis
Gallstones
Cirrhosis
Chronic liver disease leading to scarring of the tissue
Gastritis
Inflammation of the stomach
Colitis
Inflammation of the large intestine; viral or bacterial
Crohn’s disease
Inflammatory bowel disease; typically affects small intestine
Hemorrhoids
Varicose veins of rectum or anus
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
Heartburn; occurs when stomach acid flows back into the tube connecting the mouth and stomach (esophagus)
Diverticulitis
Inflammation of diverticula
Diverticulosis
Diverticula without inflammation
Hiatal Hernia
Portion of stomach protrudes into the chest
Stomach ulcer
Painful sores in the stomach lining; caused by bacterial infections, smoking, medications
Hepatitis
Inflammation of the liver
What is rugae?
Gastric folds
