Digestive System Flashcards
Passage of materials through the walls of the small intestine into the blood stream.
absorption
Small building blocks of proteins, released when proteins are digested.
amino acids
Enzyme secreted by the pancreas and salivary glands to digest starch.
amylase
Terminal end or opening of the digestive tract to the outside of the body.
anus
Blind pouch hanging from the cecum (in the RLQ). It literally means “hanging onto.” Has no clear function.
appendix
Digestive juice made in the liver and stored in the gallbladder. It breaks up (emulsifies) large fat globules. It was originally called gall. It is composed of _____ pigments, cholesterol, and _____ salts.
bile
Pigment released by the liver in bile.
bilirubin
Intestine.
bowel
Pointed, dog-like teeth next to the incisors. Also called cuspids or eyeteeth.
canine teeth
First part of the large intestine.
cecum
Portion of the large intestine consisting of the ascending, transverse, descending, and sigmoid segments.
colon
Carries bile from the liver and gallbladder to the duodenum. Also called the choledochus.
common bile duct
Elimination of feces from the digestive tract through the anus.
defecation
Swallowing.
deglutition
Primary material found in teeth. It is covered by the enamel in the crown and a protective layer of cementum in the root.
dentin
Breakdown of complex foods into simpler forms.
digestion
First part of the small intestine. Duo = 2, den = 10; it measures 12 inches long.
duodenum
Removal of materials from the body; in the digestive system, the removal of indigestible materials as feces.
elimination
Breaking up large fat globules into smaller globules. This increases the surface area that enzymes can use to digest the fat.
emulsification
Hard, outermost layer of a tooth.
enamel
Chemical that speeds up a reaction between substances. In digestion, they break down complex foods to simpler substances. Given names that end in -ase.
enzyme
Tube connecting the throat to the stomach.
esophagus
Substances produced when fats are digested.
fatty acids
Solid wastes; stool.
feces
Small sac under the liver which stores bile.
gallbladder
Simple sugar.
glucose
Starch. Glucose is stored in the form of _____ in liver cells.
glycogen
Substance (strong acid) produced in the stomach. Aids digestion.
hydrochloric acid
Third part of the small intestine from the Greek eilos, meaning twisted.
ileum
Any one of the four front teeth in the dental arch.
incisor
Hormone produced by the endocrine cells of the pancreas. It helps transport sugar into body cells.
insulin
Second part of the small intestine. Comes from the Latin word for empty, as it was always empty when a body was examined after death.
jejunum
Pancreatic enzyme necessary to digest fats.
lipase
Large organ located in the RUQ of the abdomen. Secretes bile, stores sugar, iron, and vitamins, produces blood proteins, destroys worn-out red blood cells, and filters it toxins. An adult one weighs about 2-1/2 to 3 pounds.
liver
Ring of muscles between the esophagus and the stomach. Also called the cardiac sphincter.
lower esophageal sphincter (LES)
Chewing.
mastication
Three large, flat teeth at the back of the mouth, on either side of the dental arch.
molar teeth
Two teeth before the molars.
premolar teeth
Roof of the mouth. Both hard (anterior, supported by the jawbone) and soft (posterior, fleshy, between the mouth and throat).
palate
Organ behind the stomach. Produces insulin and enzymes.
pancreas
Small projections on the tongue. Taste buds are located within them.
papillae
Salivary gland within the cheek, just anterior to the ear.
parotid gland
Rhythmic contractions of the tubular organs. In the gastrointestinal tract, it moves the contents through at different rates: stomach, 0.5 to 2 hours; small intestine, 2 to 6 hours; and colon, 6 to 72 hours.
peristalsis
Throat, the common passageway for food from the mouth and for air from the nose.
pharynx
Large vein bringing blood to the liver from the intestines.
portal vein
Enzyme that suggests protein.
protease
Soft tissue within a tooth, containing nerves and blood vessels.
pulo
Ring of muscle at the end of the stomach, near the duodenum. From the Greek pyloros, meaning gatekeeper. It is normally closed, but opens when a wave of peristalsis passes over it.
pyloric sphincter
Distal region of the stomach, opening to the duodenum.
pylorus
Last section of the large intestine, connecting to the end of the colon and the anus.
rectum
Ridges on the hard palate and the wall of the stomach.
rugae
Digestive juice produced by salivary glands. Contains the enzyme amylase, which begins the digestion of starch to sugar.
saliva
Parotid, sublingual, and submandibular glands.
salivary glands
Lower, S-shaped segment of the colon, just before the rectum; empties into the rectum.
sigmoid colon
Circular ring of muscle that constricts a passage or closes a natural opening.
sphincter
Muscular organ that receives food from the esophagus. Has three parts: fundus, body, and antrum.
stomach
Fat molecules composed of three parts fatty acids and one part glycerol. A subgroup of lipids.
triglycerides
Soft tissue hanging from the middle of the soft palate.
uvula
Microscopic projections in the wall of the small intestine that absorb nutrients into the bloodstream.
villi (singular, villus)
