Digestive System Flashcards
What is the purpose of the digestive system?
To get food and nutrients into the body and waste out
How long is the typical digestion time?
1-2 days
When does the process of digestion begin?
Before you’ve eaten anything
The smell and sight of food causes oral and gastric secretions
What are the phases of digestion?
Ingestion
Propulsion (movement)
Mechanical digestion (chewing, tearing, mixing)
Chemical digestion (enzymatic reactions)
Absorption
Defecation
Where does most of absorption happen?
Small intestines
What is the function of the mouth?
Mechanically break down food into small pieces
Tongue mixes food with saliva (helps break down starches)
What is the function of the pharynx?
Begins swallowing
Forms bolus
What is the function of the epiglottis?
To protect the trachea from food entering it
What are the three phases of swallowing?
Oral phase
Pharyngeal phase
Esophageal phase
What is the function of the esophagus?
Secrete mucous
Transport food from the throat to the stomach
What is the muscle movement that the esophagus uses to get food to the stomach?
Peristalsis
What happens when someone has achalasia?
The lower esophageal sphincter fails to open
Food has difficulty passing into the stomach
What is the function of the stomach?
Mixes food with digestive juices that contain enzymes
Breaks down food
Acid in the stomach kills bacteria
Mechanical digestion (churn into chyme)
What are the 4 regions of the stomach?
Cardia, fundus, body, and pyloris
What are the two sphincters of the stomach?
Lower esophageal and pyloric
What is the function of the small intestines?
Absorption of food