digestive system Flashcards
what is the purpose of forming a bolus
so it can travel through the esophagus easier
where does chemical digestion begin in our alimentary canal
small intestine
why is pH important to an enzyme like salivary amylase
the pH level breaks bonds in the structure of it
what is peristalsis
when the presence of food stimulates muscular contraction that pushes the food down the esophagus to the stomach
what do the esophageal sphincter muscles do
helps prevent heart burn
function of uvula
to make sure everything goes down the right pipe
salivary glands are the largest
paratoid glands
what is in saliva
amylase, water, mucus
what is amylase
a digestive enzyme that breaks starch into sugar
what does the stomach add to the food
hydrochloric acid and pepsin that help digest protein and turn food into chyme
what does the small intestine do
fat gets emulsified and passes through the wall of the small intestine, complex sugars turn into simple sugars and proteins turn into amino acids
how does the small intestine emulsify fat
using bile that is made in the liver and stored in the gallbladder
what does the pancreas do
adds the digestive chemicals: trypsin which breaks down protein into amino acids
what is the last step of digestion
absorption
what is reabsorbition
when the water removed from the waste is recycled in the body
