Digestive system Flashcards
1
Q
Oesophagus
A
- Muscular tube with sphincter (valve) at each end
- Transports food and fluids from mouth to stomach
2
Q
Stomach
A
- Stores food
- Mixes food with enzymes to break it down
3
Q
Gall bladder
A
Stores and concentrates bile from the liver
4
Q
Liver
A
- Makes bile which is important for digesting and absorbing fat into bloodstream
- Processes nutrients absorbed from small intestine
5
Q
Pancreas
A
- Makes pancreatic juices called enzymes which break down sugars, fats and starch
- Also makes hormones
6
Q
Duodenum
A
- First part of small intestine
- After foods mix with stomach acid, they move into duodenum where they mix with bile from gallbladder and digestive juices from pancreas
7
Q
Jejunum
A
Absorbs sugars, amino acids and fatty acids
8
Q
Ascending colon
A
Absorbs remaining water and other key nutrients, solidifying it to form stool
9
Q
Ileum
A
Absorbs any remaining nutrients which don’t get absorbed by jejunum or duodenum, particulary B12
10
Q
Transverse colon
A
Absorbs water and salts
11
Q
Sigmoid colon
A
- last section of bowel
- Holds faeces until ready to excrete
12
Q
Rectum
A
Stores stool until it pushes stool out of anus during bowel movement
13
Q
Anal sphincter
A
- Group of muscles at end of rectum
- Controls release of stool (maintains incontinence)