Digestive System Flashcards
What are the main parts of the digestive system?
The mouth
The pharynx
The esophagus
The stomach
The small intestine
The large intestine
What are the accessory parts of the digestive system?
Teeth
The Tongue
The Salivary glands
The Pancreas
The Liver
The Gallbladder
What is the main function of the mouth? What is the main function of the esophagus?
The mouth begins mechanical digestion and the esophagus brings food to the stomach
What is the main function of the Stomach?
It uses enzymes to break down food
What is the main function of the small intestine?
It continues to breakdown food with enzymes but it also absorbs nutrients into the bloodstream
What is the main function of the salivary glands?
They produce an enzyme that begins food digestion via saliva
What is the main function of the pancreas?
The pancreas produces numerous enzymes that enter into the small intestine to digest foods
What is the main function of the liver?
It produces bile which helps to break down fats and filters all the blood from the DS
What is the main function of the gallbladder?
It stores bile (we could live without it)
What is the main function of the Large intestine?
It removes solid wastes, it reabsorbs water into the bloodstream, it houses bacteria that produce vitamin k for blood clotting
What makes up the exit to the digestive system?
The rectum (inner anal canal) and anus
What are the four major layers of the digestive tract?
The mucosa
The submucosa
The muscularis externa
The serosa
What’s special about the mucosa layer of the SI?
The mucosa of the small intestine make up folds called plicae (increased surface area = increased absorption)
What is the Submuscosa?
It contains large blood vessels and lymphatics
It also contains several sensory neurons, parasympathetic ganglia, and sympathetic postganglionic fibers
What is the Muscularis Externa?
It is the layer that contains smooth muscle
It is innervated by myenteric plexus
What is the function of the serosa? (Digestive system)
It helps to anchor the digestive system to mesenteries
What is it called when food gets moved through the digestive system?
Peristalsis
What is it called when material is churned fragmented while moving through the DS?
Segmentation
What are mesenteries?
They are fused double sheets of peritoneal membrane that help stabilize position of organs and blood vessels
What are the structures to know in the Oral cavity?
Tongue
Uvula
Palatoglossal arches
Salivary glands
Teeth
What is ankyloglossia?
It’s the result of a very short lingual frenulum