Digestive System Flashcards
Functions of Digestive System
Mechanical and chemical breakdown of food and the absorption of nutrients
Excretion of waste
Two types of bowel movements
Mixing Movements:
mix food with digestive juices
Propelling Movements:
called peristalsis; pushes food down the tube
Mouth
Begins digestion by chewing and mixing with saliva
Tongue
Moves food, connects to floor of mouth via frenulum
Amylase
Enzyme breaks down starch into sugars
Esophagus
The muscular tube that carries food and liquids from your mouth to the stomach
The cardia
The cardia (or cardiac region) is the point where the esophagus connects to the stomach and through which food passes into the stomach
Fundus
Located inferior to the diaphragm, above and to the left of the cardia, is the dome-shaped fundus
The body
Below the fundus is the body, the main part of the stomach
Pylorus
The funnel-shaped pylorus connects the stomach to the duodenum. The wider end of the funnel, the pyloric antrum, connects to the body of the stomach.
Pyloric canal
The narrower end is called the pyloric canal, which connects to the duodenum
Pyloric Sphincter
The smooth muscle pyloric sphincter is located at this latter point of connection and controls stomach emptying
Stomach lining
Mucus prevents stomach from digesting itself, small openings called gastric pits contain glands
Glands secrete gastric juices to breakdown food
Pepsin
Important digestive enzyme for breaking down food
Mechanical Digestion
Mechanical digestion is digestion that involves physically breaking down food substances into smaller particles to more efficiently undergo chemical digestion
Chemical Digestion
Enzyme-mediated breakdown of larger molecules into smaller molecules
Chyme
The pulpy acidic fluid which passes from the stomach to the small intestine, consisting of gastric juices
Small Intestine
The small intestine absorbs nutrients and water from your food
Duodenum
The duodenum is the first segment of the small intestine. It’s largely responsible for the continuous breaking-down process
Jejunum
The jejunum is in between the Duodenum and the ileum and is responsible for the absorption of nutrients into the bloodstream and the breaking down of food
Ileum
It absorbs any final nutrients, with major absorptive products being vitamin B12 and bile acids.
Large Intestine
The large intestine turns food waste into stool and passes it from the body when you poop and includes the colon, rectum and anus. It’s all one long tube that continues from the small intestine
Cecum
To absorb fluids and salts that remain after completion of intestinal digestion
Colon
To dehydrate what’s left of the food and form it into stool. It does this by slowly absorbing water and electrolytes as its muscle system moves the waste along
Rectum
The rectum’s job is to receive stool from the colon and hold it until evacuation happens
Anus
The lining of the upper anus is able to detect rectal contents. It lets you know whether the contents are liquid, gas or solid
Bristol Stool Chart
Used as a research tool to evaluate the effectiveness of treatments for various diseases of the bowel
Liver
All the blood leaving the stomach and intestines passes through the liver. The liver processes this blood and breaks down, balances, and creates the nutrients
Gallbladder
Its main function is to store bile. Bile helps your digestive system break down fats
Pancreas
The pancreas has two main functions: an exocrine function that helps in digestion and an endocrine function that regulates blood sugar
