Digestive System Flashcards
What is the digestive system
A group of organs working together to convert food into energy and basic nutrients to feed the entire body
Function
Ingestion
Digestion
absorption
Excretion
What is ingestion
The process of taking food/ drink into the body
What is digestion
The process by which good is broken up physically
What is absorption
Uptake if substances by a tissue as of nutrients through the wall of the intestine
What is excretion
The removal of waste products from body
2 main functions ~ simplified
- Breaking down food into smaller molecules- so it can pass into blood
- Collecting waste products for disposal- removed as faeces or urine
2 types of digestion
- Mechanical: teeth, tongue and walls of the alimentary canal
- Chemically: by enzymes + other chemicals made by the salivary glands, liver and pancreas
Saliva
Fluid rich in amylase
Oesophagus
Foods pipe
Epiglottis
Flap of skin that covers the trachea when swallowing
Peristalsis
The wave like muscular movement to help food move down food pipe
Gastric juices
Juices in the stomach
Short term effects
- at rest blood goes to the internal organs
- during exercise blood flow is largely diverted to the muscles
- at rest the gut receives 25-30% of blood flow, but during exercise get less than 5%~ this is why you should eat 2 hrs before exercise
- you should eat carbs ad they r quick to digest
- since digestion effectively stops during exercise any food eat before will likely be undigested ; can cause uncomfort leading to poorer performance levels
What happens in the mouth
Ingestion
Digestion
Mechanical
Chemical
