Digestive System Flashcards
A continuous, coiled, hollow, muscular tube that winds through the ventral body cavity and is open at both ends. AKA alimentary canal.
Gastrointestinal Tract
AKA the mouth. Where food enters the mouth, a mucous membrane-lined cavity.
Oral Cavity
Forms the mouth’s anterior roof.
Hard Palate
Forms the mouth’s posterior roof.
Soft Palate
A fleshy, fingerlike projection of the soft palate, which extends downward from its posterior edge.
Uvula
A fold of mucous membrane that secures the tongue to the floor of the mouth and limits its posterior movements.
Lingual Frenulum
Receives air, food and water from the mouth and transports it to the esophagus. Made up of three parts, the nasopharynx, oropharynx, and laryngopharynx.
Pharynx
AKA gullet. Runs from the pharynx through the diaphragm and into the stomach. About 25 cm long, it conducts food to the stomach by peristalsis.
Esophagus
The innermost layer of the esophagus, lines the cavity of the organ.
Mucosa
Found just beneath the mucosa. Soft connective tissue layer made up of blood vessels, nerve endings, and lymph nodules and vessels.
Submucosa
Muscle layer typically made up of an inner circular layer and an outer longitudinal layer of smooth muscle cells.
Muscularis Externa
Outermost layer of the esophagus wall.
Serosa
Part of the Serosa, it consists of a single layer of serous fluid-producing cells.
Visceral Peritoneum
Another part of the Serosa, it is combined with the Visceral Peritoneum. It is slick, slippery, and lines the abdominopelvic cavity.
Parietal Peritoneum
A membrane extension in the Serosa that attaches the intestines to the abdominal wall. It stores fat, allows the blood and lymph vessels as well as nerves to supply the intestines.
Mesentery
C-shaped, on the left side of the abdominal cavity, and is nearly hidden by the liver and diaphragm.
Stomach
Part of the cardiac region of the stomach, food enters the stomach through the esophagus here.
Cardioesophageal Sphincter
Governs the passage of food out of the stomach into the small intestine.
Pyloric Sphincter
When the stomach is empty and its mucosa collapses inward on itself into folds.
Rugae
The convex lateral surface of the stomach.
Greater Curvature
The concave medial surface of the stomach.
Lesser Curvature
An extension of the peritoneum, drapes downward and covers abdominal organs like a lacy apron before attaching to the posterior body wall. It’s riddled with fat, which help to insulate, cushion, and protect the abdominal organs, and has large collections of lymph nodules containing macrophages and defensive cells of the immune system.
Greater Omentum
After food has been digested in the stomach, it resembles heavy cream and is called this.
Chyme
The body’s major digestive organ. Here, usable food is finally prepared for its journey into the cells of the body. It extends from the Pyloric Sphincter to the Ileocecal Valve.
Small Intestine
Situated between the end of the small intestine and the beginning of the large intestine.
Ileocecal Valve
Makes up 5 percent of the small intestine.
Duodenum
Makes up nearly 40 percent of the small intestine.
Jejunum
Makes up nearly 60 percent of the small intestine.
Ileum
Enzymes produced by the pancreas are ducted into the Duodenum through these.
Pancreatic Ducts
Bile, which is formed by the liver, enters the Duodenum through this.
Bile Duct
Dries out the indigestible food residue by absorbing water and to eliminate these residues from the body as feces.
Large Intestine
First subdivision of the large intestine.
Cecum
Hangs from the cecum in a worm-like shape, AKA a potential trouble spot. It is an ideal spot for bacteria to accumulate and multiply AKA appendicitis.
Appendix
The longest part of the large intestine, connects to small intestine on one end and anus at the other. It is divided into several different subdivisions and extracts water, nutrients and electrolytes from partially digested food.
Colon
Lower part of the large intestine and connects to the sigmoid colon.
Rectum
Conveys feces from the rectum to the anus.
Anal Canal
Travels up the right side of the abdominal cavity.
Ascending Colon
When the Ascending Colon makes a turn, it turns into this and proceeds to run into the Descending Colon.
Transverse Colon
When the Transverse Colon turns and runs down the left side of the abdominal cavity, it is called this.
Descending Colon
S-shaped and in the pelvic region, part of the large intestine.
Sigmoid Colon
The largest gland in the body. Located under the diaphragm on the right side of the body, this gland produces bile, which helps break down foods.
Liver
A small, thin-walled green sac that snuggles in a shallow fossa in the inferior surface of the liver. It stores bile.
Gall Bladder
