Digestive system Flashcards
organic nutrients
- made by living organisms mostly by plants and all most have the element carbon in it’s structure
inorganic nutrients
are molecules found naturally on earth and with the exception of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide they don’t contain carbon
organic nutrients examples
carbohydrates, proteins, fats, and fibre
inorganic nutrients example
- water
- carbon dioxide
- carbon monoxide
function of carbohydrates
produce energy
- plants create the energy from photosynthesis
- we eat animals which eat the plants
function of proteins
1 - forms part of the structure of the cell membrane
2 - can be used got energy (not an initial source of energy)
3 - Vitamins that our bodies need are formed by proteins (anti-bodies)
4 - enzymes (that control chemical reactions) are made up of proteins
functions of fats
- form main parts of our cell membrane (phospholipid bilayer)
- Protect our organs and keep them in place
- All steroids (like reproductive hormones) are fat based
- Fat soluble vitamins (like vitamin D) can’t be absorbed without fats
water function
- keep our bodies cool through sweat
- all chemical reactions take place in water
- all mineral salts must be dissolved in water
- thins the blood to give it the ability to transport nutrients
- water is the most abundant substance in all living bodies
fibre functions
- provides something for the walls to contact and digest
- the contraction of the walls moved the food and waste along the gut called peristalsis
- slows down the rate at which your body absorbs glucose (maintains you blood and glucose levels)
- provides nutrients for our microbiome
- prevents constipation
Vitamin A function
protects the mucus membrane thus preventing allergies sunburn and blindness
vitamin C
essential for our immune system and keeps our skin supple by keeping collagen (elastic skin fibres)
Vitamin B
complex of vitamin and helps maintain our metabolism and essential for nervous function
Vitamin D
import in our immune system and helps absorb calcium
Vitamin K
needed to help regulate got blood clotting and keep in arteries and veins supple
sodium (Na) function
needed for muscle contraction and nerve impulses
Iron (Fe) function
refer to make the red pigment haemoglobin in our red blood cells it carries the oxygen to the cells that need it
Calcium (Ca)
needed to build strong teeth and bone
Iodine (I) function
needed by the thyroid glands to make the hormone thyroxin which regulates our metabolism
magnesium (mg) function
edged to help muscles relax. thus preventing muscle cramps
carbohydrate sources
starch - contained in bread potatoes and cereal
proteins sources
meat - eggs - fish
fat sources
butter cooking oil and cream
fibre sources
fruit vegetables and cereal
vitamin sources
in fruit vegetables and cereal
mineral sources
meat milk salt and fish
1 - ingestion
the physical process of you taking in and chewing food
2 - Digestion (both)
Chemical and mechanical digestion
Mechanical digestion
the physical process of breaking down good to make it easier to swallow
chemical digestion
the chemical process of breaking down of said food
salivary enzymes
a chemical that already starts to digest starch
Assimilation
what you body actually does with the nutrients ie where it’s sent to what it’s use for
egestion
the excretion of the indigestible stuff in the form of faeces
salivary glands
- secrete saliva which:
soften food into a bolus
make swallowing easier
contains the enzyme able to digest starch
gall bladder function
stored the bike produced by the liver
liver
- detoxifies all toxins
- breaks down amino acids to form urea
- coverts glucose to glycogen got storage if the blood sugar is too high
- converts glycogen back to glucose when the blood sugar levels are too low
stomach function
(acid pH)
enzymes in gastric juice digest proteins (chemical digestion)
muscle contractions grind down food (chyme - mechanical digestion)
pancreas
secretes enzymes into the duodenum to digest food and insulin into the blood stream to control the levels of glucose in the blood
oesophagus function
pushed food towards stomach by muscular contraction (peristalsis)
bile duct
tube along which the bile is transported to the duodenum
what does the large intestine consist of?
Colon
Caecum
Rectum
Anus
colon funtion
(alkaline pH)
absorbs water minerals and vitamins
forms faeces
caecum
undigested remains from small intestine enter the large intestine
rectum
stores faeces
anus
where faeces passes out the body
