digestive stystem chapter 48 Flashcards
Types of Digestive Systems
Heterotrophs are divided into three groups based on their food sources
Herbivores are animals that eat plants exclusively
Carnivores are animals that eat other animals
Omnivores are animals that eat both plants and other animals
Single-celled organisms and sponges digest their food intracellularly
Other multicellular animals digest their food extracellularly
Within a digestive cavity
Cnidarians and flatworms have a gastrovascular cavity
Only one opening, and no specialized regions
Specialization occurs when the digestive tract has a separate mouth and anus
Nematodes have the most primitive digestive tract
Tubular gut lined by an epithelial membrane
More complex animals have a digestive tract specialized in different regions
Ingested food may be stored or first subjected to physical fragmentation—mechanical digestion
Chemical digestion occurs next
Hydrolysis (splitting with water) reactions liberate the subunit molecules
Products pass through gut’s epithelial lining into the blood (absorption)
Wastes are excreted from the anus
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Vertebrate Digestive Systems
Consists of a tubular gastrointestinal tract and accessory organs
Mouthoral cavity – entry and mechanical digestion and
beginning of chemical digestion
Pharynx—”common” area of resp. and digest. sys.
Esophagus – delivers food to stomach
Stomach – preliminary digestion
Small intestine – completion of digestion and absorption
Large intestine – absorption of water and minerals
Cloaca or rectum – expel waste
Salivary glands—digestive enzymes, mucus and watery solution Liver Produces bile Gallbladder Stores and concentrates bile (acts as emulsifier) Pancreas Produces pancreatic juices Digestive enzymes and bicarbonate buffer
Gastrointestinal tract is layered
Mucosa – innermost
Epithelium that lines the interior, or lumen, of the tract
Submucosa
Connective tissue
Muscularis
Circular and longitudinal smooth muscle layers
Serosa – outermost
Epithelium covering external surface of tract
Mouth and Teeth
Many vertebrates have teeth used for chewing or mastication
Birds
Lack teeth
Break up food in a two-chambered stomach
Gizzard – muscular chamber that uses ingested pebbles to pulverize food
Carnivores – pointed teeth that lack flat grinding surfaces
Herbivores – large flat teeth suited for grinding cellulose cell walls of plant tissues
Humans have carnivore-like teeth in the front and herbivore-like teeth in the back
Inside the mouth, the tongue mixes food with saliva
Moistens and lubricates the foodbolus
Contains salivary amylase, which initiates the breakdown of starchdisaccharide maltose
Salivation is controlled by the nervous system
Tasting, smelling, and even thinking or talking about food stimulate increased salivation
Swallowing
Starts as voluntary action
Continued under involuntary control
When food is ready to be swallowed, the tongue moves it to the back of the mouth
Soft palate seals off nasal cavity
Elevation of the larynx (voice box) pushes the glottis against the epiglottis
Keeps food out of respiratory tract
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The Esophagus
Muscular tube connecting the pharynx to the stomach
Actively moves a bolus through peristalsis—wave-like muscular contractions
Sphincter opens to allow food to enter stomach
Humans lack a true sphincter here
The Stomach
Saclike portion of tract
Convoluted surface (folds are called rugae) allows expansion
Contains 3rd layer of smooth muscles (oblique) for mixing food with gastric juice
3 kinds of secretory cells in gastric glands in mucosa
Mucus-secreting cells—protects stomach lining
Parietal cells
Secrete HCl and intrinsic factor (for vitamin B12 absorption)
Chief cells
Secrete pepsinogen (inactive form of pepsin)
HCl + pepsinogenpepsin for protein digestion
Low pH in the stomach helps denature food proteins
Activates pepsin and keeps it functioning
Proteinshorter chains of polypeptides
No significant digestion of carbohydrates or fats occurs
Absorption of some water (aspirin and alcohol)
Mixture of partially digested food and gastric juice is called chyme
Peptic ulcer – commonly caused by bacteria, Helicobacter pylori. Attacks mucous cells.
Leaves the stomach through the pyloric sphincter to enter the small intestine
The Small Intestine
About 4.5 m long – small diameter Consists of duodenum, jejunum, and ileum Receives Chyme from stomach Digestive enzymes and bicarbonate from pancreas—makes chyme less acidic Bile from liver and gallbladder
Epithelial wall is covered with villi
Villi are covered by cells with microvilli
Greatly increase surface area
Microvilli participate in digestion and absorption
Brush border enzymes
Many adults lack the enzyme lactase
Have lactose intolerance
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Accessory Organs
Pancreas
Pancreatic fluid is secreted into the duodenum through the pancreatic duct
Enzymes
Trypsin and chymotrypsin – proteins into smaller polypeptides
Pancreatic amylase – polysaccharides into disaccharides lactose and sucrose
Lipase – fats into free fatty acids and monoglycerides
Bicarbonate neutralizes acidic chyme—acini cells
Exocrine and endocrine gland
Liver
Body’s largest internal organ
Secretes bile
Bile pigments (waste products from old red blood cells) and bile salts (for emulsification of fats)
Gallbladder
Stores and concentrates bile
Arrival of fatty food in the duodenum triggers a neural and endocrine reflex that stimulates the gallbladder to contract, causing bile to be transported through the common bile duct and injected into the duodenum
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