Digestive And Excretory System Flashcards
Define amylase
the crystallizable form of starch, consisting of long unbranched polysaccharide chains
Define Anus
the opening at the end of the alimentary canal through which solid waste matter leaves the body.
Define bile
a bitter greenish-brown alkaline fluid which aids digestion and is secreted by the liver and stored in the gall bladder.
Define carbohydrates
Mainly sugars and starches, together constituting one of the three principal types of nutrients used as energy sources (calories) by the body.
Carbohydrates can also be defined chemically as neutral compounds of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen.
Define deamination
The removal of amino group from an amino acid molecule
Define defecation
The discharge of faeces from the body
Define digestion
The mechanical and chemical breakdown of food to small molecules that can be absorbed into the body
Define enzyme
Proteins that speeds up the rate of a chemical reaction in a living organism.
Without enzymes, life as we know it would not exist.
Define fatty acids
a carboxylic acid consisting of a hydrocarbon chain and a terminal carboxyl group, especially any of those occurring as esters in fats and oils.
Define gall bladder
small sac-shaped organ
beneath the liver
bile is stored after secretion by the liver and
before release into the intestine.
Define large intestine
The part of the intestine between the small intestine and the anus.
It is made up of caecum, colon and rectum
Define lipid
Large organic molecules made up of fatty acids and glycerol
Define liver
a large lobed glandular organ in the abdomen of vertebrates, involved in many metabolic processes.
Define mastication
Mastication or chewing is the process by which food is crushed and ground by teeth. It is the first step of digestion, and it increases the surface area of foods to allow more efficient break down by enzymes.
Define mouth
the opening and cavity in the lower part of the human face, surrounded by the lips, through which food is taken in and vocal sounds are emitted.
Define oesophagus
The tube that carries food from the throat to the stomach
Define pancreas
a large gland behind the stomach
secretes digestive enzymes into the duodenum.
secrete into the blood the hormones insulin and glucagon.
Define peristalsis
Waves of muscular contraction that pushes food along the alimentary canal
Define protein
A molecule composed of polymers of amino acids joined together by peptide bonds.
Define rectum
the final section of the large intestine, terminating at the anus.
Define saliva
A fluid secreted into the mouth by salivary glands to begin digestion of food
Define secretion
a process by which substances are produced and discharged from a cell, gland, or organ for a particular function in the organism or for excretion.
Define small intestine
The longest part of the alimentary canal, it receives materials from the stomach
Define villi
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Define alimentary canal
The tube via which food passes through the body, consisting of the mouth, oesophagus, stomach and intestines.
Also known as the digestive track.
Define mucosa
A mucosa membrane, in the particular the mucosa membrane that forms the internal lining of the alimentary canal
Define vitamins
any of a group of organic compounds which are essential for normal growth and nutrition and are required in small quantities in the diet because they cannot be synthesized by the body.
Define elimination
The removal of indigestible materials, bacteria and bile pigments from the body